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The Juneau native became only the second person to play Major League Baseball after being born without one of his hands when he made his debut on April 7, 1994.

Former Major League Baseball player Chad Bentz of Juneau will be the first baseball player inducted into the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame.

Bentz and Olympic trap shooter Corey Cogdell-Unrein of Eagle River were the lone selections from the people category for the Class of 2019 and will be joined by the Alaska Run for Women from the event category and Kodiak’s upset of perennial powerhouse East Anchorage in the 2001 high school state title game from the moment category.

This will be the 13th class to be honored by the Hall, which uses a process a based on votes from the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame selection panel, past inductees and the public.

“We’re very pleased with the choices that came out of the selection process,” said Alaska Sports Hall of Fame executive director Harlow Robinson. “Alaska is such a diverse state with a rich sports culture and this group reflects that.”

The Class of 2019 will be honored at a banquet in April at the Anchorage Museum.

Here is a closer look at the Class of 2019:

No Alaska athlete did more with less than Bentz.

He became only the second person to play Major League Baseball after being born without one of his hands when he made his debut on April 7, 1994.

“I played baseball when I was younger, and got made fun of,” Bentz said in 2004. “I didn’t like going because all they did was make fun of me. So, I didn’t play anymore. Then I saw Jim Abbott. He gave me the will to at least try playing again.”

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound left-hander pitched in 40 career MLB games, more than any other player from Alaska. He played for the Montreal Expos in 2004 and the Florida Marlins in 2005.

Bentz – one of three Alaskans to play in the big leagues – finished 0-3 with a 5.86 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 29.2 innings.

Arguably his most impressive achievement is the fact that he’s the only Alaskan with a MLB base hit.

“Not bad for a boy who overcame many obstacles he faced in his life, both geographical and physical,” Bentz said.

Bentz, 38, played nine years in the minor leagues and racked up an 11-20 record with 23 saves in 195 appearances, almost all in relief.

After his baseball career ended in 2010, he played a season of college football at NCAA D3 Castleton State in Vermont. He was a fullback and carried the ball 12 times and scored two touchdowns.

He is now the head baseball coach at his alma mater of Juneau-Douglas High School and guided the Crimson Bears to the ASAA 2018 state championship.

Learn what time Legion and youth players need to show up for the Professional Baseball Camp all three days.

Professional Baseball Camp

Dec. 20-22 @ West High School

We have worked hard with Brent Strom and Ralph Dickenson to reschedule the 2018 Professional Coaches Camp. Unfortunately, both coaches have other obligations until spring training but they have arranged for two outstanding coaches from the Houston Astros in Troy Snitker, the team’s co-hitting coach, and Bill Murphy, the organization's pitching coordinator.

Camp Schedule

Thursday Dec. 20

ALL HIGH SCHOOL 4:00-6:00

ALL YOUTH 6:00-8:00

Friday Dec. 21 (No School)

ALL HIGH SCHOOL 10:00am-1:00pm

YOUTH AGES 11-13 1:30pm-4:00pm

YOUTH AGES 8-10 4:30pm-7:00pm

Saturday Dec. 22

ALL HIGH SCHOOL 9:00am-12:00pm

YOUTH AGES 11-13 12:30pm-2:00pm

YOUTH AGES 8-10 2:00pm-3:30pm

PLEASE NOTE THE YOUTH GROUP HAS BEEN SPLIT UP BY AGE. Thanks to a great registration from our youth players will have broken the youth group in half so that the players get more reps in smaller groups. If youth players need to attend the other age group to be with a sibling, we can accommodate that. The separate groups will go through similar drills and allow the coaches to work with smaller numbers.

The camp will again feature coaches from the Houston Astros – Troy Snitker, the team’s co-hitting coach, and Bill Murphy, the organization’s pitching coordinator.

Just in time for the holidays, the Professional Baseball Camp featuring MLB coaches from the Houston Astros is back on the calendar after getting postponed because of the massive Nov. 30 earthquake.

The new dates are Dec. 20-22 at West High School in Anchorage. Times for Legion players and youth groups will be released in a few days, but plan on Thursday night, Friday afternoon (no school) and Saturday afternoon.

If players are not able to attend this camp, they can transfer their paid admission to our College Coaches Clinic Jan. 18-19-20 at The Dome.

Note: An email will go out at the start of the week that will confirm times, locations and allow participants to confirm they will be attending this camp or apply the credit to the January camp.

This month’s Professional Baseball Camp will again feature coaches from the Houston Astros – but it won’t be Brent Strom and Ralph Dickenson, who couldn’t return this time due to scheduling conflicts.

Both men were in town during the earthquake and had looked forward to working with Alaska kids once again. They vowed to come back in 2019.

“Many of your kids have attended these clinics the last few years and I was looking forward to seeing their progress from last year,” said Strom, the Astros pitching coach. “Both Ralph and I have other clinic obligations until Spring Training, but we have arranged through the Astros organization and Alaska Airlines for two outstanding coaches to come to Anchorage.”

The new Astros coaches coming are Troy Snitker, the team’s co-hitting coach, and Bill Murphy, the organization’s pitching coordinator.

“These are really up-and-coming coaches and they will be teaching many of the techniques that we believe in our organization,” Strom said.

Strom was a starting pitcher in the big leagues back in the day, but right after the earthquake he became a closer and personally made sure the Alaska camp had MLB-quality coaches fill in.

If Strom approves of them, that’s the only recommendation needed.

“Troy's father was the MLB National League Manager of the Year for the Atlanta Braves this year,” he said. “Bill is a young pitching coach with a bright future.

“Neither of the them have ever been to Alaska, so they are very excited.”

Strom expects to be back next year with Dickenson.

“We hope to be back in November 2019 for our 10th year in Alaska,” he said. “Have a great holiday season.”

“It is the biggest, most scouted tournament in the western United States,” ABA manager Tony Wylie said. “Over 250 college coaches and recruiters typically attend the event as well as over 75 MLB scout…

Rain may have shortened the Arizona Senior Fall Classic, but it couldn’t dampen the spirit of the Alaska Baseball Academy 18U Sockeyes.

Even if it was for only two games, they were happy to play in front of scouts.

“It is the biggest, most scouted tournament in the western United States,” ABA manager Tony Wylie said. “Over 250 college coaches and recruiters typically attend the event as well as over 75 MLB scouts representing all 30 MLB clubs.”

The ABA team is comprised of elite players from Alaska Legion programs.

The Alaskans played to a 3-3 tie in 10 innings with Mountain West Baseball Academy of Colorado in the first game.

Chugiak Post 33 all-star Ian Frizelle lined a triple into right field for the team’s lone extra-base hit. Mose Hayes of Homer pitched five scoreless innings of relief.

“The game was well played defensively by both squads with only one error committed in the 10 innings,” Wylie said.

The Sockeyes lost the second game 7-2 to the California Cubs, a team loaded with college-ready sluggers and hard-throwing pitchers.

“The Alaskans held their own for most of the game versus the talent-laden Cubs,” Wylie said. “Their roster included 10 D1 scholarship players with multiple pitchers in the 90-92 mph range.”

Alaska pitchers included Gage Webster and Jacob Woodall of South Post 4 and Leland Wilson of West Post 1. That’s about as good as it gets in the 907.

Wilson, a lanky lefty, fared the best with didn’t allow a run over his three innings of work.

“Wilson was very impressive on the mound, striking out four with only a single and a walk,” Wylie said. “Following the game there were four or five MLB scouts asking to speak with the young 6-foot-4 southpaw from West.”

The team comprised of young Alaska Legion players pounded out 10 hits and got RBIs from six players in a 15-4 victory over the Southwest Baseball Knights in the championship game.

Buoyed by big bats, the Alaska Baseball Academy Junior Sockeyes outscored opponents 43-6 and hit .400 as a team en route to posting a 4-0 record and winning the Futures Division of the Arizona Southwest Wood Bat Classic Meltdown tournament.

The team comprised of young Alaska Legion players pounded out 10 hits and got RBIs from six players in a 15-4 victory in four innings over the Southwest Baseball Knights in the championship game.

“Several players stood out and received some inquiries from a few major-league scouts,” ABA manager Tony Wylie said. “Playing in sweltering heat all weekend the high temperatures didn’t make it easy for the Alaskans, with the mercury reaching 110 degrees on championship Sunday.”

Dylan Maltby went 2-for-3 with a triple, three RBIs and three runs. Noah Lower finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs. Kaden Bevegni was 2-for-2 with an RBI and a pair of runs.

Oliver Brown pitched three innings and allowed just one hit. He also walked and scored a run. Camden Costanios threw the final inning and reached base three times, scoring twice.

Logan Smith added two RBIS and Carl Colavecchio drove in a run and scored two more.

The Junior Sockeyes won the other games by scores of 8-1, 8-1 and 12-0.

In the semifinals, Bevegni pitched four strong innings with six strikeouts and no walks in a mercy-rule win.

“Other teams were making jokes and asking how we find baseballs in the snow,” Wylie said. “They weren’t laughing at the final handshake.”

Four Dimond pitchers combined to issue 13 walks, including six in the fourth to fuel a big inning that allowed Utah to cruise to 14-3 win at Northwest Class A Regional Tournament in Idaho.

The Hyrum (UT) Trappers broke open the game with a big fourth inning en route to 14-3 triumph in a loser-out game that eliminated the Dimond Post 21 Lynx from the Northwest Class A Regional Tournament in Lewiston, Idaho.

Four Dimond pitchers combined to issue 13 walks, including six in the fourth to fuel a seven-run outburst that allowed Utah to seal the deal early.

The Lynx finished 0-2 at the regional, but they have nothing to hang their heads about after bagging a 24-win season.

Luke Smith and Logan Sweet each went 2-for-3 at the plate. Smith knocked in a run and Sweet threw out a baserunner trying to steal second.

Jacob Lick went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Kobe Vanderwood was 1-for-2 with a walk for Dimond.

Connor Cunningham and Jack Dolan scored runs in the third inning. Zach Jenkins singled and later scored in the fourth.

Dimond was trying to become the fourth Alaska team since 2013 to win a game at the NWCART.

Down to their last out, the Green Sox tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning and then won it in extras to beat the Post 21 Lynx 5-4 at the Class A Regional Tournament in Idaho.

The Green Sox tied the game with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning on a two-out error and then won it in the eighth inning with a walkoff single to beat the Post 21 Lynx 5-4 on Day 1 of the Class A Regional Tournament in Lewiston, Idaho.

The loss spoiled a great start from pitcher Parker Coplin, who left in the fifth inning with Dimond leading 4-2.

Luke Smith had two hits and drove in two runs. Kobe Vanderwood had two hits and scored two runs. Logan Sweet and Adam Boyce had RBIs.

Boyce helped Dimond danced around some serious trouble in the seventh inning and nearly wiggled off the hook. With the bases loaded, the Lynx denied a squeeze play to get one out and Boyce struck out a batter for the second out.

But Burley tied the game after a sharp grounder bounced off the shortstop’s arm, allowing the Green Sox to plate a pair of runs and tie the game at 4-4.

Dimond avoided further damage when Boyce ended the inning with a strike out, stranding the winning run on third base.

In extra innings, Dimond went 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth and Idaho went walk, balk, walk, walkoff.

Alaska teams have fared pretty well at the NWCART since 2013, posting a combined five wins by Service (2016), Juneau (2015, 2014) and South (2013). The South team won two games.

The Lynx are still alive in the double-elimination regional.

Dimond (24-10) will play the Hyrum (UT) Trappers on Saturday at 9 a.m. ADT.

The Post 4 Royals scored 11 runs in the third inning to run away with a 16-3 victory over the Post 25 Midnight Suns, who finished sixth in the tournament and ended the season 29-4.

The Billings (MT) Post 4 Royals scored 11 runs in the third inning to run away with a 16-3 victory in five innings at the Northwest Regional and eliminate the Juneau Post 25 Midnight Suns, who finished sixth in the tournament and ended the season 29-4.

There’s no getting around it: the third inning was ugly, but neither that nor the lopsided loss should overshadow Juneau’s beautiful performance this week as the team made history and reminded people how Alaska can compete at the regional level with enough muscle and moxie.

Not only did the Midnight Suns become the first Alaska team to win a regional game since 2009, but they scored 23 runs in three games to double the previous high for an Alaska team at the tournament in the last decade.

South Post 4 scored 11 runs in two games in 2014, Kenai Post 20 scored 10 runs in two games in 2012 and South scored 9 runs in three games in 2009.

Even today, with the game well out of hand, Michael Cesar drove in Zeb Storie from second base with an RBI single in the team’s final at-bats. Juneau went out swinging.

Storie, Cesar, Donavin McCurley, Kasey Watts, Robert Cox and Brock McCormick all delivered base hits against a Billings pitching staff that walked only two batters compared to 10 by Juneau, including three in a row with the bases loaded in the third inning.

Watts led the team with five runs and five walks, Cox was tops with six base hits and Phil Wall drove in a team-high five RBIs. The Storie bros combined for nine hits, six RBIs and four runs. Cesar was second with four runs and tied for third with three RBIs.

The Juneau Post 25 Midnight Suns ended a long and painful losing streak for Alaska Legion AA teams at the Northwest Regional, snapping the state’s 10-year, 19-game tournament losing streak with a 13-9 win over the host Post 27 Mavs in Missoula, Montana.

Juneau capitalized in the sixth inning with a six-run offensive outburst in the top half and two delightful defensive plays in the bottom half, which added up to a historic victory the entire state should savor.

Phil Wall – the state tournament MVP – played a pivotal role in the decisive sixth inning. At the plate, he cleared the bases with a three-run double down the right-field line to give his team a 9-7 lead. In the field, the second baseman saved a run when me made a nice play moving to his left to field and fire to first for the out.

Robert Cox made a wonderful diving catch in right field in the sixth inning. He also went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs on a day when the Midnight Suns collected 15 hits and drew seven walks to keep persistent pressure on four Montana pitchers.

Gabe Storie stroked a two-run standup double in the top of the seventh to make the score 13-9 and provide insurance for relief pitcher Kasey Watts, who closed the door with a strong final inning.

Juneau’s victory was the first for an Alaska team at the Northwest Regional since 2009 when South Post 4 beat Cheyenne (WY) 5-4.

The Midnight Suns have been close in their previous two games at regionals – losing 8-7 yesterday to Meridian (ID) and 3-1 last year to Lewiston (ID).

So, it’s fitting Juneau was the team to make Alaska history.

The team’s next game is Friday at 11 a.m. ADT in another loser-out game against the loser between Yakima Valley (WA) Post 36 and Billings (MT) Post 4.

Watch live at www.mpsn406.com.

Juneau (29-3) came out looking to win right away, jumping out to a 1-0 in the first inning on Cox’s two-out single that scored Michael Cesar, who reached on an error to start the rally. The lead swelled to 3-0 in the second inning after the Midnight Suns scored on a balk and a Cesar RBI single.

Montana roared back to take a 4-3 lead, much like Idaho did in Wednesday’s tournament opener. And just like that game, Juneau answered immediately when Watts belted a solo home run to the things up at 4-4.

In the past, so many Alaska teams would get off to a good start at the regional tournament only to have a Lower 48 team bash its way back into the game. But this Juneau team has the muscle and moxie to keep up in a slugfest.

Down 5-4 in the fifth, Juneau tied the game again on Zeb Storie’ s sac fly.

Down 7-5 in the sixth, Cox drove in a run with a single before Wall brought home three runs with a double to put Juneau ahead for good.

Watts, who got the final out of the eighth inning, stayed in the game and enjoyed a quiet seventh inning with two popups and a lineout to end the game.

Meridian (ID) scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to spoil an excellent effort by the two-time defending Alaska state champion Midnight Suns.

From heartwarming to heartbreak, Juneau Post 25 experienced every emotion in a roller-coaster game with Meridian (ID) Post 113 that featured four lead changes and ended in an 8-7 walkoff loss that denied Alaska its first win at the Northwest Regional since 2009.

Idaho scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to spoil an excellent effort by the two-time defending Alaska state champion Midnight Suns, who played well and did so many things right to build a seemingly safe 7-4 cushion.

Credit Idaho for the comeback, but credit Juneau for proving that Alaska can compete at the regional level despite the state’s struggles in past years.

The Midnight Suns banged out 11 hits and made only one error. They led 1-0 after the first inning and 3-0 after the second inning. And when Idaho rallied to take the lead 4-3, they bounced back with a four-spot in the fifth inning to take a 7-4 lead.

Going into the final inning, it felt like Alaska's long losing streak finally would end at the Legion regional tournament. It didn't happen - but the loss shouldn't overshadow Juneau's effort and energy on the field.

Zeb Storie went 2-for-5 with three RBIs, Phil Wall was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Robert Cox batted 2-for-4 with an RBI. Gabe Storie finished 2-for-3 and scored twice.

In Juneau’s big fifth inning, Wall doubled in a pair of runs and Zeb Storie drove in two runs with a two-out, two-strike base hit.

Wall, the state tournament MVP, pitched six-plus innings and allowed 10 hits. He was chased in the seventh after hitting the leadoff hitter, walking the next batter and then giving up a double that made it 7-5.

Donavin McCurley entered with runners on second and third and gave up a sac fly and single before striking out the next batter for the second out of the inning. The game ended when Idaho’s Charlie Tentinger ripped an opposite-field gap shot to score the winning run from second base.

The loss was just the third for Juneau in 31 games this season. It was also McCurley’s first losing decision in a full year, with his last loss coming at last year's Northwest Regional.

Juneau dropped into the loser’s bracket of the double-elimination Legion World Series qualifier and will play Thursday at 11 a.m. ADT against the loser of Cheyenne (WY) Post 6 and host Missoula (MT) Post 27.

Juneau (28-2) will play Meridian, Idaho, in the first game Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. ADT.

When it comes to pitching, Juneau Post 25 has plenty of it and the Midnight Suns will need every available arm when they hit the field for this week’s Legion Northwest Regional in Missoula, Montana.

The Alaska state champion will play Meridian, Idaho, in the first game Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. ADT.

Juneau (28-2) showcased its dominant pitching staff at the state tournament when the Midnight Suns carved up opposing batters with a 1.50 ERA in 42 innings.

They closed out the tournament with a record 26-inning scoreless streak, thanks to back-to-back-to-back complete-game shutouts by Phil Wall, Kasey Watts, Gabe Storie and five shutout innings by Donavin McCurley.

The ‘Fab Four’ combined for a miniscule 0.39 ERA at state after allowing just two runs in 36 innings.

Wall, the tournament MVP, pitched a total of 12 innings, won both decisions and gave up just one run. He threw a 3-hit shutout in the title game against Dimond Post 21 to improve his season record to 6-1.

Storie didn’t give up an earned run in 10 innings and Watts was spotless in eight innings of work. McCurley allowed just one run in six innings; he is 5-0 on the summer.

Last year, McCurley turned in one of Alaska’s greatest pitching performances at the Northwest Regional in a 3-1 loss to eventual champion Lewiston, Idaho.

He needed only 89 pitches to complete a 9-inning gem during he did not strike out a single batter. He gave up eight hits and one walk. He pitched to contact and trusted his defense.

The two-run defeat was the closest an Alaska team has come to winning in nearly a decade.

South Post 4 was the last Alaska team to be victorious at the Northwest Regional with a 5-4 win over Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 2009.

Offensively, Juneau looks to bounce back after a tough outing at the plate in last year’s region tournament in which the Midnight Suns scored a total of just three runs.

They aren’t the first Alaska state champ to struggle against Lower 48 pitching. Since 2008, only two teams – South (11) in 2014, Kenai (10) in 2012 – have reached double figures in runs at regionals.

Zeb Storie and Michael Cesar headline Juneau’s loaded lineup.

Storie hit .594 with a team high 37 runs scored in 21 games during league and state tournament.

Cesar – the state’s high school player of the year – batted .471 with a team-best 27 RBIs.

Juneau is led by coaches Jeremy Ludeman and Joe Tompkins, who were among the men honored as Alaska Legion coaches of the year.

South Black beat South Gold 9-0 in a battle between Post 4 Legion A squads in the title game of the Alaska Airlines Junior Legion State Tournament.

Oliver Brown pitched a 2-hit complete-game shutout as South Black beat South Gold 9-0 in a battle between Post 4 Legion A squads in the title game of the Alaska Airlines Junior Legion State Tournament at Bartlett High School.

Brown retired eight of the first nine batters he faced to get off to a good start he carried through to the end. He struck out four of the final five hitters.

He struck out nine and walked just one.

South Black won all three tournaments during the Alliance’s Legion A tournament tour, beating South Gold in all three title games.

Kellen Curtis went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. Hayden Bragg drove in a run and scored twice.

Other South Black players to drive in a run included Brown, Maddux Soland, AJ Sawicki and Reece Ivanoff.

Juneau Post 25 starter Phil Wall was masterful on his way to pitching a 3-hit shutout in a 7-0 win over Dimond Post 21 at Mulcahy Stadium.

State Tournament

Title Game: Juneau 7, Dimond 0

Phil Wall threw a 3-hit shutout and started a game-ending 1-6-3 double play as the Post 25 Midnight Suns ended the tournament with 26 consecutive scoreless innings en route to beating the Post 21 Lynx at Mulcahy Stadium and becoming the first repeat Legion state champion since 2011.

Wall was masterful as he struck out the side in the fourth inning and didn’t issue a walk until the sixth. He ran into a little trouble in the seventh but eliminated the threat by inducing a game-ending double play to give Juneau its state-best 28th win of the season.

Wall had five strikeouts and six comebackers and was named tournament MVP after earning his second win of the tournament and lowering his ERA to 0.58.

The Midnight Suns needed his shutout pitching early because they led only 1-0 on an unearned run and Dimond pitcher Luke Coplin – who also was gunning for his second tournament win – showed courage under stress as Juneau went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position in the first four innings.

Things changed in the fifth and sixth innings when Juneau plated three runs in each frame to pull away to win the program’s second straight state championship under the coaching duo of Joe Tompkins and Jeremy Ludeman, who were among Alaska Legion’s coaches of the year.

Tournament Big Stick Award winner Kasey Watts got the rally started in the fifth with a two-run single to give him eight RBIs, the most in the tournament. Owen Mendoza, who batted .500 for the tournament on 9-of-18 hitting, also drove in a run in the fifth.

The Midnight Suns put the game away with three more runs in the sixth as Gabe Storie, Donavin McCurley and Michael Cesar all scored runs.

They are Alaska’s first back-to-back state title since Dimond won in 2011 and 2010.

Juneau will represent the 907 at the Northwest Regional Tournament, which starts Aug. 8 in Missoula, Montana.

Dimond (24-9) advanced to the program’s 10th appearance all-time in the Legion state title game.

And although the Lynx didn’t win the title, they will receive a consolation prize in the form of a Outside trip to the Northwest Class A Regional Tournament, which begins Aug. 10 in Lewiston, Idaho.

His presence alone was enough to inject his team with instant confidence, so much so he was used very tactically to maximize his pitch count. This right-hander made two starts and his team won both times as he struck out 10 batters and sported a zero ERA in eight innings of work.

Gold Glove

Declan Dammeyer, West Post 1

Whether he was behind the plate or roaming center field, this durable dual threat was a terrific defensive player who showed love for the glove. As a catcher, he threw out two baserunners and allowed only one stolen base. In the outfield, he was steady and did not make an error on 18 total chances.

Big Stick

Kasey Watts, Juneau Post 25

A combination of precision and power, the left-handed cleanup hitter ripped the ball virtually every time he stepped in the box. The first baseman led the tournament with eight RBIs and two triples. He had three RBIs against South and Chugiak. He added two RBIs in the title game and hit .300 in six games.

Most Valuable Player

Phil Wall, Juneau Post 25

He came back from college to help his team win another state championship, and as fate would have it, he got the ball for the big game. He didn't disappoint, throwing a 3-hit shutout for his second win at state. For the tournament, the righty threw 12 innings and finished with a tidy 0.58 ERA and 11 strikeouts.

With the win, Kasey Watts lifted top-seeded Juneau into the state championship game against No. 2 seed Dimond at 6:15 p.m. Juneau won the Legion state championship a year ago and is now one win away f…

State Tournament

Game 14: Juneau 7, West 0

Post 25 starter Kasey Watts pitched a 7-inning 3-hitter and faced the minimum over the final four innings to lift the Midnight Suns past Post 1 in a semifinal game at the 66th ALB State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium. alaskalegion.com

The southpaw allowed only three singles, all coming with one out in the inning, and he didn’t allow a baserunner to go beyond second base. He also hit cleanup in the batting order, but the team didn’t need his bat. Just his left arm.

With the win, Watts lifted top-seeded Juneau into the state championship game against No. 2 seed Dimond at 6:15 p.m. Juneau won the Legion state championship a year ago and is now one win away from being the first team to repeat since Dimond in 2011 and 2010.

Offensively, Juneau (27-2) got all the runs it needed to beat West in the first inning. After the first three batters reached base on single, walk and error, Robert Cox hit a sac fly and Owen Mendoza had a two-run single as Juneau took a 3-0 lead.

The Midnight Suns added another crooked number in the fourth inning on RBIs from Gabe Storie, Donavin McCurley and Michael Cesar. Storie reached base all three times with a double, single and walk.

Zeb Storie added an RBI double in the fifth inning to complete the scoring.

West got base hits from Revy Mack, Leland Wilson and Luke Langnes. Reliever Luis Nunez allowed just one run after coming out of bullpen to pitch 2.2 innings.

The Eagles were playing on the final day of the state tournament for the first time since 1988.

Led by tournament MVP Jacob Gilbert, the Road Warriors finished 5-0, including an 8-3 victory in title game at Mulcahy Stadium.

Matson Invitational

Title Game: Wasilla 8, Eagle River 3

Jacob Gilbert went 3-for-4 to highlight his team’s 11-hit attack as the Post 35 Road Warriors capped a 5-0 record by beating the Wolves in the championship game of the 5th ALB Matson Invitational at Mulcahy Stadium.

Dawson White went 2-for-2 with two walks and three runs scored. Kendell Ruta was 2-for-4 with two runs. White was joined by Ben Werner, James Arend and Taylon Ottinger all drove in runs in the RBI Club.

Wasilla (22-11) took the lead for good in the third inning with a four-run frame.

That was plenty of support the pitching staff needed as Austin Robertson and Nolan Murphy combined on a 4-hitter, with only one run being earned. Roberton started and struck out seven batters in 4.2 innings. Murphy came on in the fifth inning and sealed the deal with 2.1 innings of shutout relief.

Wasilla won its five tournament games by a combined 39-16 margin – flexing its top-seeded muscle.

Gilbert earned Matson Invitational Most Valuable Player honors after leading the tournament with nine hits, seven RBIs and a .600 batting average. Twice, he drove in three RBIs in one game. He also pitched 5.2 innings and had a 2.47 ERA.

On Day 3 of the tournament, this right-handed pitcher pitched a shutout when his team needed it most. He needed only 77 pitches for his 7-inning complete game and allowed only five hits and zero walks as his team won the game 1-0.

Gold Glove

Damien Frederick, Eagle River

This steady second baseman is fundamentally sound and showed love for the glove with flawless defense and a 1.000 fielding percentage on 10 total chances, including one double play.

Big Stick

Zack Satterly, Palmer Post 15

At 6-1, 230 pounds, he walks softly and carries a big bat. He hit the tournament’s only home run and finished second in the tournament with a .583 batting average. He had 11 total bases in four games and scored four runs, including the game-winner against Ketchikan.

MVP

Jacob Gilbert, Wasilla Post 35

He hit in the middle of the lineup and was productive all five days of tournament action – never taking a day off. Twice, he had 3 RBIs in one game. He led the entire tournament with 7 RBIs, 9 base hits and a .600 batting average. He also pitched 5.2 innings and had a 2.47 ERA.

Gabe Storie threw a 4-hit shutout and 2017 State MVP Zeb Storie went 3-for-4 and scored the game's first run as the Post 25 Midnight Suns beat previously tournament unbeaten Post 21 on Day 4 of the 66th ALB State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

Gabe Storie had a pretty uneventful evening in terms facing few baserunners and not allowing any of them to reach farther than second base. In each of the second and third innings, the first two Dimond hitters reached base only for the rally to eventually evaporate.

He allowed only one hit over the final four frames and ended the fourth and sixth innings with a strikeout. He had five on the night.

Zeb Storie, the leadoff hitter, was the only batter on his team hitting fourth or better to get a base hit – and he got three of them. He’s now hitting a team-best .538 for the tournament.

He led off the game by working the count full and reaching on a single. He went to second on a passed ball, tagged on a flyball and then scored on another fly ball off the bat of Michael Cesar to give the Midnight Suns (26-2) their first run.

They tacked on two more runs in the second inning, thanks largely to Owen Mendoza's triple. He knocked in one run and then scored on Bryson Echiverri's RBI single to make it 3-0.

Juneau’s offense didn’t let up, adding single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to push the lead to 6-0.

The Midnight Suns are especially dialed in at the plate and everybody seems to be seeing the ball well. Nobody struck out against Dimond and opposing pitchers have only fanned seven Juneau batters in 124 plate appearances during the state tournament.

Dimond (24-8) didn’t look like the same team that ran the table through the first three days of the tournament.

Jack Dolan was in the middle of the action all night for the Lynx.

As a hitter, he went 2-for-3 effort to lift his batting average to .364 for the state tournament. As a pitcher, tossed 5.2 innings and held Juneau’s terrific trio of Donavin McCurley/Cesar/Kasey Watts hitless (0-for-8).

Zach Jenkins and Raythan Robbins also had base knocks for Dimond. Kobe Vanderwood drew a pair of walks.

The loss didn’t mean anything in terms of the Lynx had already clinched a spot in Tuesday’s state title game.

Juneau will play West Post 1 at 3:15 p.m., with the winner taking on Dimond at 6:15 p.m.

Post 1 ace Leland Wilson struck out 11 batters over 5.2 innings to earn the win and closer Luis Nunez recorded the final four outs for the save as the Eagles move on and sent home the Post 20 Twins in the 66th ALB State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

West (21-11) scored twice in the first and third innings to take an early 4-1 lead and then leaned on its pitching and defense do the rest, paving the way for the Eagles to advance to the final day of the state tournament for the first time since 1988.

Kenai jumped on Wilson with one out in the first inning with back-to-back singles that provided a 1-0 lead, but that was it. The smooth southpaw didn’t allow another hit the rest of the way.

Meanwhile, West’s Declan Dammeyer and Revy Maack both reached and scored in the first inning, with Thomas Zettler driving in one of those runs with an RBI single.

In the third inning, Mack got things started again after getting hit by a pitch and coming around to score on Wilson's RBI single. Wilson would later score on an error to make it 4-1.

Kenai’s patience at the plate resulted in a slew of walks over the fourth and fifth innings, helping the Twins plate a run. Trapper Thompson walked, moved to second on a balk, went to third on a groundout and scored on a passed ball to make it 4-2 in the fifth.

West answered with a manufactured fun its own in the sixth inning from Nicko Opinsky, who walked and sac bunted to second, moved to third on a base hit and scored on a passed ball.

Kenai starter Logan Smith pitched a 6-inning complete game, scattering seven hits and three walks. He pitched well enough to win on most days, but this was West’s day.

The Eagles saved their ace for Day 4 and it paid off as the team needed his terrific outing to eliminate a perennial powerhouse that has won 17 state tournament games and two state titles since 2012. The Twins are used to winning in the postseason.

West, on the other hand is not.

At least, that used to be the case. Last year was the first time the Eagles advanced to state since 2012. They finished sixth.

This year they can do no worse than third and are still alive to reach the championship game for the first time since 1988 or win the program’s first Legion state title since 1977.

Jacob Gilbert went 3-for-3 and drove in three runs over back-to-back innings when the Post 35 Road Warriors pulled away from the Post 11 49ers to remain undefeated with a Day 4 win in the 5th ALB Matson Invitational at Mulcahy Stadium.

Gilbert had a two-run single in fourth inning and then singled in another run in the fifth inning to power top-ranked Wasilla, which will face Eagle River in Tuesday’s tournament title game at 9 a.m. at Mulcahy. There is an if-necessary game scheduled for 11:30 a.m.

Kendell Ruta had two RBIs and scored two runs. Ben Werner, James Arend and Taylon Ottinger also drove in runs for the Road Warriors (20-11).

Those breakout innings were plenty of support of winning pitcher Carter Huston, who threw five effective innings. He allowed three hits and just two walks.

Ben Werner, James Arend and Taylon Ottinger also drove in runs for Wasilla.

Those breakout innings were plenty of support of winning pitcher Carter Huston, who threw five effective innings. He allowed three hits and just two walks.

For Fairbanks, Issac Roehl went 2-for-2 with a walk, two runs and an RBI.

Travis Moore drove in a run and Pearson Clark also scored for the 49ers, who finished third in the tournament.

Eight of the first nine batters reached base on a single or walk, which set the tone for an eight-run rally in the first inning that carried the Wolves to a Day 4 victory over the Post 15 Pioneers in a loser-out consolation game at Mulcahy Stadium.

Eagle River extended the lead to 9-0 in support of starter Sterling Retzlaff, who retired nine straight batters to begin the game, but was then pulled after three innings and just 28 pitches to keep him eligible to throw in Tuesday’s tournament championship game against unbeaten Wasilla at 9 a.m., with the if-necessary game at 11:30 a.m. at the stadium.

Eagle River's Aaron Davis pitched the final four innings to earn the win in relief. Starters must pitch four innings to qualify for the decision.

Ryan Gray doubled in two runs in the first (his second at-bat of the inning) and added a sac fly in the third inning for the Wolves. Retzlaff singled, walked twice and scored a run.

Kaden Ketchum was Palmer's MVP for the game. The relief pitcher was summoned from the bullpen with the bases loaded and no outs. He gave up a flyball to his first batter that scored one run but after that he delivered nothing but goose eggs with four shutout innings of relief.

In the sixth inning, Kolten Ketchum produced a two-run single to pull the Pioneers within 9-3. He also walked and later scored a run the inning before.

Trace Severson tacked on Palmer's final run with a two-out RBI single that scored Ben Alley. The Pioneers finished fourth in the tournament.

Youngster Luke Smith pitched like a wily veteran in the biggest game of his Legion career to keep the Post 21 Lynx unbeaten while handing the Post 1 Eagles their first loss in the 66th ALB State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

Smith, a 2021 grad, finished what he started with a 7-inning 6-hit complete game. He retired eight of the final nine batters he faced, showing off the moxie of an older player.

West starter Thomas Zettler deserves a ton of credit as well as the right-hander limited to Dimond to just two hits over six innings and carried a perfect game through 3.1 innings.

He was victimized by bad luck as an error led to the go-ahead run, but that’s baseball. Like life, the game isn’t always fair.

Dimond catcher Jack Dolan scored the go-ahead run and helped call a terrific game, which saw Smith pitch to contact and trust his defense. Smith had zero strikeouts – the same number of Dimond errors.

Raythan Robbins and Jake Andresen also scored runs for the Lynx while Dolan and Kobe Vanderwood registered the two hits.

Zettler was on his game - hitting the jackpot of strikeout-groundout-flyout sequence in each of the first three innings.

West broke through to take a 2-0 lead after Zettler singled, was bunted to second by Leland Wilson and then scored on Nicko Opinsky's single. Luke Langnes, who reached on a fielder's choice, scored on Luis Nunez's sac fly.

Besides the hiccup in the fourth inning, Zettler was lights out and closed out his CG by retiring seven of the final eight batters.

Two proud programs that are used to winning in the postseason clashed in a loser-out consolation game in the 66th ALB State Tournament, with the back-and-forth matchup coming down to a pivotal sixth inning when the Post 25 Midnight Suns pulled away at Mulcahy Stadium.

Kasey Watts and Michael Cesar combined for five hits and five RBIs, including all four in the bottom of the sixth inning when Juneau sealed the deal. With the bases loaded, Cesar singled in two runs and then Watts cleared the bases with a two-run triple.

Juneau starter Donavin McCurley nursed a 4-3 in the top of the sixth inning when he walked DJ Davis on four pitches and hit Ian Frizelle with a pitch to put runners at first and second with no outs. He looked vulnerable and needed a pick-me-up. The defense had his back.

First, the Midnight Suns got the lead runner on a sac bunt attempt. Then they got the lead runner on a bouncer hit in the hole where the short stop had only one play.

Finally, McCurley ended the threat by picking off the base runner in a terrifically timed play with his shortstop Zeb Storie – last year’s state tournament MVP.

Frizelle crushed a solo home run to left field to give Chugiak Post 33 a 1-0 lead in the second inning. The Mustangs kept it going with a double by Trystan Costanios and two-run single by Christan Cambridge that made it 3-0.

Chugiak and Juneau entered the game with a combined 27 state tournament wins and three Legion state titles since 2013.

David Michael went 4-for-4 and scored the winning run on Austin Asp's walkoff single to provide the Post 20 Twins with a dramatic victory over the never-say-quit Post 17 Bears in a loser-out consolation game in the 66th ALB State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

The game featured four lead changes and came down to the final play – a testament to the preparation and passion in both dugouts.

Trailing 3-2 entering the bottom of the seventh, Jeremy Kupferschmid walked and stole second to put himself into scoring position. Next up was Michael, who singled up the middle for the fourth time on the day to drive in Kupferschmid with the tying run.

Harris Metz then sacrificed his at-bat by bunting Michael into scoring position before Adam Brinster walked and Asp ended the game with the winning base knock, knocking Kodiak out of the tournament.

What a season for the boys from The Rock. Not only did they provide one of the greatest upsets in state tournament history a 3-1 victory over No. 1 Juneau in the first round to snap the team’s 21-game winning streak, but they nearly KO’d Kenai as well.

Entering the top of the seven trailing 2-1 and having little success offensively, Kodiak summoned some more magic with a two-run rally to put themselves to make history again.

With one out, Anders Hocum walked after working a full count and moved to second on an error. He scored on Jack Malloy's RBI single on the second pitch he saw.

With two outs, Malloy stole second to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Luke James made it an easy stroll home with the go-ahead double. It was the second straight money plate appearance for James, who the previous inning drew a 10-pitch walk.

Even though Kodiak was eliminated with the loss, the Bears can hang their heads high when they get home. They placed sixth – two spots higher than their No. 8 seed – and made history by becoming the first Kodiak team to win a game at the state tournament since 1986.

Kenai, on the other hand, is making its 32nd consecutive appearance at the state tournament.

Ben Werner and Taylon Ottinger each had three hits as the Post 35 Road Warriors banged out 11 hits and made a late charge to beat the Wolves in a Day 3 winner's bracket game at the Matson Invitational at Bartlett High School.

Werner reached base four times and scored three runs, including the go-ahead score in the sixth inning in a game that ended because of the tournament's 2-hour, 15-minute time limit.

Ottinger and Jake Gilbert each had three RBIs for Wasilla (19-11), which improved to 3-0 in the tournament.

Gilbert pitched 5.2 innings with six strikeouts but left trailing 7-6, giving way to Logan Murphy, who got the final out and picked up the win.

Aaron Davis went 2-for-2 and collected two RBIs and scored twice.

Ryan Gray, Chase McGraw, Christian Frederick and Cam Witte also drove in runs for the Wolves.

Issac Roehl outdueled Patrick Leshan in an old-fashioned pitching battle that could have gone either way before the Post 11 49ers escaped with a close win in a Day 3 consolation bracket game at the Matson Invitational at Bartlett High School.

The only run came in the second inning when Travis Moore smacked a leadoff double, advanced to third on a sac bunt by Kaleb McWilliams and scored on August Jensen's base hit. Jensen, who bats No. 8 in the lineup, singled after working the count full.

Roehl pitched a 7-inning complete game on just 77 pitches. He allowed five hits and no walks and got two double plays behind him. He also went 2-for-3 at the plate.

East’s Jonny Earhart went 2-for-3 and was his team’s only baserunner to reach third base. Other base hits came from Ricky Gatter, Zack Barnhart and Jacob Dunham.

Leshan scattered seven hits and five walks over 5.2 innings. He did a marvelous job of dancing around trouble - three times wiggling off a base-loaded jam with no damage.

Zach Satterly pitched 5.2 innings of shutout relief, batted 3-for-3 and scored the winning run in the fifth inning as the Post 15 Pioneers rallied from an early 6-2 deficit to stay alive in the tournament and eliminate the Post 3 King Salmon in a Day 3 consolation bracket game at Bartlett High School.

With his team down 6-2 and ducks on the pond, Satterly entered the game and immediately induced an inning-ending double play. It was a sign of things to come. he issued no walks and allowed five hits, with only two baserunners getting as far as third base.

In the fifth inning, Ketchikan scored two runs to take the lead for good after Kolten Ketchum singled and scored on Satterly's double and eventually driven home by on James Nelson.

Ketchikan’s Wyatt Barajas went 2-for-4 with a double and was one of five players with RBIs. The others were Brock King, Gavin Salazar, Liam Kiffer and Sean Taveres.

Ivan Tillman shrugged off an early error to pitch beautifully over six innings and Nicko Opinsky drove in three runs as the Post 1 Eagles won beat the upstart Post 15 Bears in the winner's bracket in the 66th ALB State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

Tillman's throwing error allowed the first inning to extend and Nathan James made him pay with a two-run single to spot Kodiak a quick lead.

After that, though, Tillman threw five consecutive shutout innings, getting key strikeouts, popups and groundouts when he needed it most

The game was tight until the fourth and fifth innings when West hung back-to-back crooked numbers.

Declan Dammeyer went 3-for-4, Revy Mack, Leland Wilson and Opinsky each had two hits. Sam Lebo doubled and had two RBIs.

West improved to 2-0 at the state tournament for the first time since 1988. The Eagles are 17-13 overall.

Kodiak won its first game at state since 1986 last night with a stunning upset of No. 1 Juneau.

Want more 1980s fun facts? West and Kodiak haven't played at state since 1981.

Anders Hocum, Jack Malloy and Luke James each scored runs and pitcher Hunter Ewell pitched two shutout innings of relief.

Post 21 ace Jake Andresen dealt a 4-hit gem with seven strikeouts over 5.2 innings and added an RBI double to help his own cause to highlight his team's winner's bracket victory over Post 33 in the 66th ALB State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

He got out of first inning jam thanks to a double play and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third inning with a flyout.

Andresen has now pitched eight innings over two games, striking out seven and allowing one run (which was unearned).

The Dimond coaches have been stragetic with his pitch count over the last two days to maximize the college-bound right-hander for as long as possible.

Andresen and his battery mate Jack Dolan each drove in runs with base hits in the first inning to spot the Lynx a 2-0 lead.

Chugiak scratched out a run in the fifth inning after Justin Nevells singled, advanced to third on an error and scored on a sac fly from cleanup hitter DJ Davis.

In the next half inning, Raythan Robbins doubled in a run and later scored to push Dimond's lead to 4-1.

Lynx closer Kaden Roettger got the final four outs to save Dimond’s 23rd win of the summer. The Lynx are 2-0 at state for the third time this decade, with 2014 and 2011 being the other two.

Pitching from Phil Wall and batting from Kasey Watts proved to be a lethal 1-2 punch as the Post 25 Midnight Suns eliminated the Post 4 Wolverines in a loser-out game at the 66th ALB State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

Wall spun five innings of 2-hit ball and retired 10 straight batters over the first, second, third and fourth innings. He carried a shutout into the sixth inning.

Juneau’s defense turned two double plays – one for Wall and another for reliever Robert Cox to end the game.

Jacob Boze cleared the bases with a double to key a four-run fifth inning and Adam Brinster pitched six strong innings as the Post 20 Twins eliminated the Post 28 Cougars in the 66th ALB State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

Brinster got the rally started for Kenai with an RBI single that broke a 2-2 tie. Later in the fifth, Boze came up with the bases loaded and laced the first pitch he saw over the head of the left fielder for an extra-base hit and a 6-2 cushion.

The Twins needed every run as Service battled back to make a game of it down the stretch. It’s fitting for a long rivalry between championship programs that have met 22 times in the state tournament since 1983. It’s now tied 11-11.

Brinster struck out six batters and scattered eight hits over his pitching performance. He worked out of innings with a runner in scoring position in four of the first five innings.

Austin Ap worked a perfect seventh for the save.

Asp also scored two runs. Harris Metz and Trapper Thompson each had two hits.

Service's Carsen Sandau went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Chris Malagodi went 2-for-4 with an RI and two runs scored.

Sandau delivered RBIs in the third and fifth innings. Henry Helgeson doubled and later scored his team's final run in the sixth inning. Service finished the season 15-15.

It had all the makings of a rivalry game. Big game, tournament setting, loud crowd cheering both sides.

Mat-Su Valley bragging rights were at stake as the Post 35 Road Warriors and Post 15 Pioneers were meeting in a pivotal game for the third time this season - Palmer won at the Todd Ryan; Wasilla won the only league meeting.

The first two games were blowouts – but this one was an instant classic.

With his team down to its last out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Clayton Boyett went into hero mode as he singled, stole second and then raced home with the winning run to lift Wasilla to a wild walkoff win in the winner’s bracket in the Matson Invitational at Bartlett High School.

The game featured huge hits – like Palmer’s Zach Satterly game-tying home run in the sixth inning – and precise pitching – with Wasilla's Balau Buckmaster and Palmer's Trace Severson both going the distance.

Buckmaster got the win as he retired nine of the first 10 batters on his way to a 4-hitter with seven strikeouts. Severson carried a perfect game into the fourth inning and had only one hiccup in the fourth inning when he allowed three hits, including an RBI single from Wasilla’s James Arend.

Sterling Retzlaff, Chase McGraw and Christian Frederick combined for a 4-hitter but it didn't come easy as they danced around baserunners en route to doubling up the Post 34 T-birds in the winner's bracket of the Matson Invitational at Bartlett High School.

Frederick earned the rare eight-out save, retiring the final five batters he faced.

Damien Frederick delivered a two-out, two-run single in the third inning to cap a four-run rally that helped the Wolves take control.

McGraw reached base all four times.

East put eight runners in scoring position on a combination of hits, walks and hit by pitch, but seldom cashed in.

Zack Barnhart came to play, doubling and scoring in the third inning and walking and later scoring in the fifth inning.

East pulled within 4-3 in the fifth inning when Jonny Earhart touched home.

London Emerson had it all working as he struck out 12 batters and got a double play behind him to highlight a scoreless outing for the Post 11 49ers that staved off eliminatin in the 5th ALB Matson Invitational at Bartlett High School.

Emerson fanned seven of the first nine batters he faced to set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.

He faced few baserunners and only twice Bartlett got a player to third base. Emerson allowed only two hits.

Pearson Clark, Issac Roehl and Kaleb McWilliams each had two hits and combined for five RBIs.

Bartlett's Taylor McCart pitched a complete-game 7-hitter with five strikeouts.

In 1988, Kenai Post 20 rocket right-hander Marshall Boze broke the all-time strikeout record in a 6-1 loss to East Post 34 during the ALB Legion State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

Before he became the first Alaskan to play Major League Baseball, Soldotna’s Marshall Boze had a different claim to fame.

He struck out 21 batters in one game, and lost.

In 1988, the rocket right-hander with Kenai Post 20 threw a three-hitter over eight innings broke the all-time strikeout record in a 6-1 loss to East Post 34 during the Alaska American Legion Baseball State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

East went on to win the state championship.

Boze went on to pitch in the big leagues.

Thirty years ago, though, he was a teenage Legion player with big dreams and electric stuff. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder had racked up high strikeout totals in previous games, but nothing like his record-breaking performance against East.

“He was overwhelming,” said Kenai manager Lance Coz, who coached Boze in 1988. “He was like that guy in ‘Bull Durham’- boom, boom, boom, he’d strike out three batters and the next time he’d kill the mascot.”

Boze definitely dealt like an ace against an East team that still cherishes its brush with greatness.

“I remember that game like yesterday,” said East shortstop Troy Lovdahl, now 47. “Still have the scorecard (teammate) Chris Pobieglo kept by hand.”

After falling behind early in the game, Boze didn’t allow a base hit after the third inning and went into Roger Clemens mode and struck out 15 of the final 19 batters.

Of those four hitters that didn’t see strike 3, two walked, one grounded out and the other flied out.

“All I remember is his ball was super heavy and hard. At the plate, you were just trying to stay alive,” said East catcher Trent Taylor, now 48. “I got interviewed after the game because I was the only guy on our team who didn’t strike out!”

Armed with a 90-mph fastball and devastating slider, Boze had the kind of stuff that made batters look foolish.

“Marshall’s pitches had so much movement,” Lovdahl said. “He struck me out on a slider I missed by three feet.”

The East hitters weren’t the only ones having trouble handling Boze’s pitches. His catcher did as well. Five East batters struck out only to reach base after the ball got passed the catcher.

“Not only could East not touch him, his catcher struggled to catch him,” Coz said. “His stuff was too good.”

Half the runs East scored that day came from guys reaching base after striking out. Still, Boze doesn’t put blame on his battery mate. He holds no ill will.

“Nobody was harder on him than he was, and he was really hard on himself that day,” said Boze, now 47. “I don’t think I was even pissed off about that game. I was just happy I struck out 21 guys.

“I was pretty pissed because we couldn’t touch that guy’ s curveball.”

That other guy was East starter Rob Tune, who threw a 9-inning complete game 6-hitter.

Taylor had the best success against Boze, going 1-for-3 with a walk. He was also the only East player not to strike out.

“You asked me how I saw him so good? I didn’t. I just got lucky,” Taylor said. “I was a good fastball hitter and that’s what my hit was on. His slider was nasty. It looked like a fastball and then it disappeared.”

Boze’s 21 strikeouts broke the previous Legion state tournament record of 20 set in 1980 by Kenai left-hander Kevin Stalker. Prior to that Anchorage’s Dick Scarborough twice struck out 19 batters at the state tournament in 1956 and 1955.

Looking back, Boze remembers his Legion days fondly.

“I just remember being really happy when I pitched because I got to strike people out,” he said. “That’s what I lived to do.”

In 1989, he went to Southwestern College in Chula Vista, California. In 1990, he was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 12th round. He started in rookie ball and advanced To Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A.

On April 28, 1996, Boze made his MLB debut against the Seattle Mariners. He retired all four batters he faced.

A month later he was closing games.

Boze earned his first save in just his seventh MLB game and had a 1.50 ERA through his first 10 appearances.

In all, he played in 25 games in the 1996 season, finishing eight of them. He struck out 19 batters in 32.1 innings and finished 0-2 with a 7.79 ERA.

Boze didn’t lack confidence on the mound. And it didn’t matter who was at the plate.

“He was built like a bull and when he hit Albert Belle he didn’t even think twice about backing down,” Coz said with a laugh. “That’s typical Marshall.”

In 10 minor-league seasons, Boze posted a 62-65 record in 221 career games. He completed 18 of his 159 starts and struck out 693 batters in 1,025 innings. His wins, strikeouts and innings are way ahead of any other pro pitcher from Alaska.

He’s most proud of being the first Alaskan to pitch in the big leagues.

“That means the world to me,” Boze said. “I like the look on people’s face when I get to say that. They look at you twice, like, ‘What, really?’ Sometimes I’m even in awe of that.”

TJ Foxworthy and Jack Malloy helped orchestrate one of the biggest Legion upsets in years as the Post 17 Bears shocked the top-seeded Post 25 Midnight Suns in the 66th annual ALB State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

The loss snapped Juneau’s 21-game winning streak dating back to June 8.

Kodiak is making its first appearance at the state tournament since 1992. It was the first win at the state tournament for The Rock since 1986.

Coach Derek Clarkston’s team is the first No. 8 seed to knock off a No. 1 since 2014 when South upset Wasilla, but this one feels different.

Kodiak finished 10 games behind Juneau in the regular season’s 18-game schedule. The defending state champion Midnight Suns (23-2) are stacked with college-ready stars – many of whom helped Juneau win the high school state title on June 2.

Still, baseball has a way of evening the playing field.

The game was scoreless through four innings. Finally, Juneau struck first in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI double from Evan Mendoza.

Kodiak (11-16) answered right back with a three-run rally in the sixth inning, thanks to five walks. Jace Crall was hit by pitch and then Nathan James and Shaun Walton walked to load the bases.

Khyler walked to knock in a run, Foxworthy laced a single and Mallory walked. Foxworthy’s hit was only his team’s second base knock for the game.

Malloy picked up the win in relief, pitching 3.2 innings and holding the league's top team to two hits and one run. Foxworthy started and was just as sharp, throwing a shutout for 3.1 innings.

Kaden Roettger and Jake Andresen drew back-to-back walks with the bases loaded to provide the cushion the Post 21 Lynx needed to escape the Post 20 Twins in the 66th annual ALB State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

Dimond had five straight batters reach base in that pivotal fifth inning to extend its lead to 3-0. Isaiah Mills and Parker Coplin each walked and later scored. Raythan Robbins had the only base hit in that stretch.

Coplin also picked up the win with four innings of long relief. He came into the game in the third inning to replace starter Jake Andresen, who was pulled after just 30 pitches and seven outs, to make the ace available to pitch Saturday.

It was a gamble, but the move paid off for the No. 2 seed.

Kenai pitchers Harris Metz, Logan Smith and Austin Asp held Dimond to just three hits to keep the Twins in the game.

With one out in the seventh inning, Kenai made its move after Jacob Boze and Metz delivered consecutive singles. David Michael and Adam Brinster drove in runs to get Kenai close.

This was the third consecutive year these two teams have played at the Legion state tournament. In 2017, Dimond won 13-9. In 2016, Kenai won 6-3.

Starter Luke Langnes pitched all seven innings and catcher Declan Dammeyer threw out a baserunner trying to steal second base in the seventh inning to protect the lead and push the Post 1 Eagles over the top in the 66th annual ALB State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

Dammeyer threw out two base runners on the day and scored his team’s first run in the first inning after leading off the game with a walk.

Leland Wilson drove in a pair of runs and Thomas Zettler doubled and drove in a run for West (16-13).

Revy Mack scored twice in support of Langnes, who did not issue a walk and struck out a half dozen.

South's Ryan Bailey went 3-for-3, including an RBI single in the seventh inning to pull the Post 4 Wolverines (23-9) within a run.

Reid Brock went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Lian Lincoln went 1-for-4 with an RBI.

Lincoln singled on the pitch right after Dammeyer threw out the base runner in the seventh, putting extra emphasis on the defensive play as it thwarted the potential tying run from scoring.

This was the first-ever meeting between the two teams at the Legion state tournament.

Billy Smith reached on a hit by pitch to lead off the sixth inning and later scored the go-ahead run that helped Post 33 survive and advance in the 66th annualALB State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

Starter Garrett Nevells and closer Sam Hall did not allow an earned run over seven innings of work. Hall got the win, but Nevells did most of the heavy lifting.

Nevells scattered seven hits and two walks over five innings before leaving in a 2-2 tie. Hall worked the final two innings and shut the door on a two-on, two-out threat in the seventh to end the game.

Chugiak (21) won the game on just four hits. The first three hitters in the lineup - Christian Cambridge, Justin Nevells and Ian Frizelle - each got base hits and middle-of-the-order guys - Smith and Austin Bull - scored runs. Cambridge also scored.

Chugiak's defense threw out two Service baserunners at the plate.

Service's Jaren Childs pitched well enough to win but was victimized by poor defense. The right-hander struck out eight batters over six innings and allowed only one earned run. Five of the six inning he finished with at least one runner in scoring position.

Ronan Klancher went 3-for-3 and Chris Malagodi and Cobey Cupp each had an RBI for Post 28.

These are two of Alaska’s strongest programs with a combined 28 appearances in the state title game.

Kolten Ketchum pitched a complete-game 7-hitter and Zach Satterly went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scores as the Post 15 Pioneers continued their late-season surge with a close win at the Matson Invitational at Bartlett High School.

Ketchum gave up an unearned run in the first inning and had a clean sheet the rest of the way. Three times he worked out of a two-on jam.

Satterly drove in his team's first run with an RBI single in the first inning. In the fifth inning he singled and later scored his team's final run.

Joe Ryan drew three walks and scored a run.

Fairbanks took an early 1-0 lead after Pearson Clark reached on an error and later scored on London Emerson's RBI single.

Kaleb McWilliams worked around eight walks to allow just one earned run in five innings.

Braden Olmstead and Ryan Gray combined for four hits and four runs to highlight an offensive attack that ended the game by mercy rule after a five-run fifth inning on Day 1 of the Matson Invitational at Bartlett High School.

Olmstead finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and Gray went 2-for-4 with a double.

Chase McGraw drove in two runs and Christian Frederick and Sterling Retzlaff each had one RBI. Daniel Bodine tripled.

Not having required insurance keeps Palmer, Ketchikan and Wasilla from taking field at state tournament, so they will compete instead at the Matson Invitational.

Three American Legion Baseball teams from Alaska have been ruled ineligible for sanctioned postseason competition by the National Legion office because the teams did not purchase required insurance on time, Alaska Legion senior officials announced today.

As a result, Wasilla and Ketchikan will not participate in this year’s Alaska Legion State Tournament, a qualifier for the Northwest Regional. Palmer would not have qualified anyway.

All three Alaska Legion teams instead will participate in the Matson Invitational.

Every Legion team in the country that advances to these regional games must have proof of insurance by the required date as certified by the National Legion office.

The insurance policy has been in place for 30 years and is required by both National Legion and Alaska Legion. The deadline for teams to purchase insurance was May 31.

The rule was discussed before the season at Alaska Legion meetings and National Legion sent emails to remind coaches in advance of the deadline.

Each Legion post is responsible for registering the team online and paying for the required insurance before the deadline. The practice of team responsibility for registration has been in place in Alaska for several years and all three teams had previously registered and paid insurance on time in past years.

The National Legion office made the ruling today in a final eligibility check with Alaska Legion officials prior to the start of postseason competition on Friday.

An appeal made by Alaska Legion officials on behalf of the disqualified teams was denied, said Alaska Legion senior official Steve Nerland. The other 13 Alaska Legion teams paid their insurance on time, according to the National Legion office.

The season is not finished for Wasilla, Ketchikan and Palmer.

Alaska Legion Department Chair Russ Baker invited all three teams to participate in the Matson Invitational, a tournament created in 2014 for Alaska Legion teams that didn’t qualify for state.

None of the teams ruled ineligible will lose league points from the regular season or drop in the Alaska Legion standings, Nerland said.

“The points are the points,” he said.

The five-day postseason run kicks off Friday, with the 66th annual Alaska Legion State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium and the 5th annual Matson Invitational at Bartlett High School.

The Alaska Legion state champion will qualify for the Northwest Regional in August in Missoula, Montana. The winner of the region tournament advances to the Legion World Series.

Together, they lifted South Post 4 to the BP Invitational championship with a 4-0 victory over Excelsior Post 259 of Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the title game at Mulcahy Stadium.

South (17-7) is the first Alaska team to win the tournament since Dimond Post 21 in 2010.

McGovern pitched a 5-hit shutout in going all seven innings. He walked just one and struck out three batters. The right-hander shut down an Excelsior squad that came into the final hitting .371 as a team over the last three days.

He retired 14 of the final 17 batters and threw just 87 pitches. He also doubled and was named the Most Valuable Player for his performance in helping South become what is believed to be the first Alaska team to defeat three different Lower 48 teams at the BP Invitational.

Brock, Webster and Costello each drove in runs for the champs.

Lincoln – the tournament’s Gold Glove Award winner - continued his perfect defense at shortstop while center fielder Bailey and third baseman Sugita each robbed base hits from Excelsior slugger Joel Thimsen, who won the Big Stick Award.

This year’s BP Invitational was billed beforehand as the most talented fields in the tournament’s 24-year history and the teams didn’t disappoint, with 11 of 17 games being decided by one or two runs. Six games ended in walkoff fashion.

In a tournament long on great pitching, this southpaw stood tallest. The 5-foot-10 left-hander struck out 11 of 18 batters he faced in a 12-3 win over Chugiak Post 33. He gave up just one hit and no runs in 5.1 innings of work.

Gold Glove

Lian Lincoln, South Post 4

He plays center field on some days, but in this tournament, he played shortstop. Lincoln displayed range, a strong arm and the ability to turn a twin bill. He didn’t make an error in 25 chances and helped turn three double plays.

Big Stick

Joel Thimsen, Excelsior (MN) Post 259

He squared up the ball virtually every time he came to the plate. The hard-hitting first baseman batted .470 and led his team with eight hits, three doubles and five RBIs in five games.

Most Valuable Player

Jimmy McGovern, South Post 4

Whether he was pitching or hitting, McGovern was right in the middle of the action in three of his team’s wins. He collected three RBIs in a 7-5 win over Lone Peak Post 19 of Utah. He drove in the winning run with a sac fly to give his team a 2-1 win over Columbia Post 19 of Tennessee. And then he threw a shutout in the title game.

In a back and forth game that had the feeling of a Legion playoff game, it seemed fitting that these two national powers tied in the semifinals of the BP Invitational at Mulcahy Stadium.

Under different circumstances, the game would have continued. But with a 2-hour, 15-minute time limit reached, Excelsior advanced to the championship game as a result of being a higher seed. Excelsior was the No. 1 seed out of Pool B, whereas Columbia was the No. 2 seed out of Pool A.

Hardly an ideal ending, but both teams should be congratulated after treating fans to an excellent baseball game.

It was a rematch of last week’s Bill Miller Big Fish Wood Bat Tournament final in Kenai, won 4-0 by Columbia.

The game’s final out had plenty of drama with big Andy Hale at the plate and the tying run at third base and the winning run at first base.

Jared Wandersee got Hale to ground out to end the threat and send Excelsior back to the championship game. It felt like a save.

Excelsior’s Will Sturek came up big for his club. In the second inning, he doubled and scored to put Post 259 up 2-1. In the fifth inning he drove in a run with an RBI single that tied the game at 3-3.

This is the first time Columbia won't win the BP title in four trips to Alaska after claiming championships in 2016, 2014 and 2012.

Jacob Woodall laced the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the eighth inning to score Reid Brock from second base and lift Post 4 to victory in the semifinals of the BP Invitational at Mulcahy Stadium.

The extra-inning victory propelled South into the tournament championship game for the first time since 2014.

South won the game, but West’s Luke Langnes stole the show.

The right-hander carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and drove in both runs to give West a 2-0 lead.

In the sixth, South’s Lian Lincoln broke up the no-no with a clean infield single into the hole between third and short. He stole second and later scored on an error and just like that the no-hitter and shutout were gone.

Josh Costello tied the game 2-2 with an RBI groundout.

The game stayed even until the eighth inning, when with one out, Brock reached on an error and advanced to second on Costello’s base hit. Langnes struck out the next batter for the second out before being lifted for a reliever.

Woodall was the next batter and ripped a game-winning single to give South its second walkoff win in four games during the BP Invitational.

Ethan Mealer drove in the tying run and later came around to score the winning run to cap a wild five-run rally in the bottom of the seventh as Columbia kept alive its title chances in the BP Invitational at Mulcahy Stadium.

A loss would have eliminated the Tennessee team from championship contention and it looked likely as Columbia entered the final inning trailing 8-4.

But Columbia strung together five straight hits by Will McCall, Matt Joslin, Andy Hale, Dillan Saunders and Mealer. Hale hammered an RBI double and Saunders ripped a two-run triple to get within 8-7.

Mealer drilled the first pitch he saw to tie it. He advanced to second when Nathan Massey was hit by a pitch and scored when the Lone Peak shortshop misplayed JT Hamilton’s groundball to allow Mealer to score.

McCall finished 3-for-3 and led off the rally with an infield single.

Columbia improved to 2-1 in the tournament and advanced to Sunday’s semifinals.

The Utah team erased an early two-run deficit with a six-run second inning to take control. Or so it seemed.

The Misfits got two hits apiece from Trey Gambill, Karsten Hatch, Cade Walker and Tanner Nielson. They also combined for four RBIs.

A sac fly by Jimmy McGovern drove in Gage Webster with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning as Post 4 handed the Tennessee team its first loss in 16 games at the BP Invitational dating to 2012.

Webster played hero for South, first pitching out of a two-on, one-out jam in the top of the inning and then getting himself in scoring position with an extra-base hit in the bottom half.

The left-hander ripped an opposite-field double down the third-base line, just inside the bag, and advanced to third on Damian Mohl’s single. McGovern came up next and lofted a flyball to center field that was deep enough for Webster to race home.

South starter Jacob Woodall pitched well enough to win but settled for a no-decision. He needed just 81 pitches to get through 7.1 innings before running into trouble in the eighth with baserunners at second and third.

Enter Webster, who induced a lazy pop up and deep fly ball to end the threat.

Columbia entered the game 14-0-1 all-time at the BP Invitational in three appearances in 2012, 2014 and 2016. Post 19 has won the tournament all three years.

The only previous blemish was a 4-4 tie with South in 2014.

Now South is the first Alaska team to beat the former Legion World Series champs.

Columbia tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning when Jackson Cook scored on Will McCall’s sac fly.

Andy Hale started and allowed just three hits in five innings. Cook was called on in relief and pitched 2.2 innings.

The youngest player in the tournament played like a veteran as Sean Giffen pitched four effective innings to earn the win and keep alive Post 28’s title chances in the BP Invitational at Mulcahy Stadium.

Service (9-8) plated nine runs in the second inning and Giffen threw clean frames in the third and fourth inning to improve to 1-1 in tournament play.

Cobey Cupp drove in three runs and Nathaniel Cole and Jaren Childs each had two RBIs. Chris Malagodi scored three runs.

Service took advantage of 16 walks.

Dimond (15-5) got a big game from Kobe Vanderwood, who tripled, scored a run and drove in two runs.

Nick Thimsen homered and Cameron Smrekar doubled and tripled as Excelsior broke out the big sticks with six extra-base hits to help Excelsior remain undefeated in the BP Invitational at Mulcahy Stadium.

The Minnesota team is 2-0 in tournament play and 7-2 on its Alaska road trip.

Joel Thimsen ripped a pair of doubles and finished with three RBIs. Mason Nadolney doubled and drove in two runs.

It was more than enough support for starter Will Sturek, who tossed a 4-hit complete-game effort. He walked three and struck out two in six innings.

Dimond is the first-place team in Alaska and the loss was just its fourth in 19 games this summer.

Jake Andresen allowed seven hits and four earned runs over five innings. He struck out a half dozen.

Zach Jenkins and Kobe Vanderwood each went 2-for-3 to collect all of their team's base hits.

Jacob Lick made a beautiful diving catch in left field for Dimond to away what would have been another extra-base hit.

The bottom of the lineup made sure Post 259 from Minneapolis, Minnesota, came out on top on the second day of the BP Invitational at Mulcahy Stadium.

Excelsior got six hits, three runs and two runs from hitters Nos. 7, 8 and 9, including a game-tying two-run single from No. 9 hitter Ike Fuecker in the top of the sixth inning.

Excelsior scored four runs over the sixth and seventh innings to rally from behind and reward reliever Jack Wilson with the win. He threw three shutout frames over the final three innings to give his team a chance to come back.

Mike Sturek’s sac fly in the sixth gave the Minnesota team the lead for good.

West (10-5) looked to be in control, leading 3-1 after five innings with ace Leland Wilson on the bump.

The southpaw scattered eight hits and six walks, escaping two-on jams in the second, fourth and fifth innings.

Left-hander Jake McAleavy struck out 11 of 18 batters he faced in a dominating pitching performance to lead the Post 19 Misfits of Highland, Utah, on the second day of the BP Invitational at Mulcahy Stadium.

McAleavy worked 5.1 innings and allowed one hit, one walk and hit one batter.

Lone Peak won its tournament debut and improved to 6-3 on its Alaska road trip.

Ryder Christensen and Ethan Lamb each drove in three runs and Justin Wood added two RBIs. Trey Gambill scored three times.

Chugiak (12-7) used six pitchers with Justin Nevells throwing the only clean inning.

Ian Frizelle went 2-for-3 with a run and RBI. Trystan Costanios also drove in a run.

Lone Peak scored 10 runs in the fourth inning and five more in the fifth inning to pull away for an 18-11 victory in Wasilla.

Ethan Lamb doubled and tripled to highlight an 18-hit attack from Utah’s Lone Peak Post 19 that carried the Misfits to an 18-11 victory over Ketchikan Post 3 in the title game of the Todd Ryan Memorial Tournament in Wasilla.

Lone Peak scored 10 runs in the fourth inning and five more in the fifth inning to pull away and claim the championship in the second stop on the four-leg Alaska Airlines Tournament Tour. The series continues this week in Kenai before wrapping up in Anchorage for the BP Invitational.

The Misfits should have lots of confidence moving forward after winning the title and avenging a 6-2 loss to Ketchikan earlier in the tournament.

Lamb drove in four runs, scored three runs and pitched 1.2 innings, striking out five of eight batters he faced. He also played both middle infield positions.

Lone Peak’s Ryder Christiansen went 3-for-3 with four RBIs and three runs. Karsten Hatch was 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs.

Ketchikan was playing its 10th game in six days on an extended road trip from Southeast Alaska. Credit the Kings for fighting through mental and physical fatigue.

The loss snapped their six-game winning streak.

Wyatt Barajas went 2-for-4 with four RBIs and Cody Kemble was 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs. Hayden McGarrigan and CJ Jasper each had two hits and combined to drive in three runs.

National powers from Minnesota and Tennessee have each been to Alaska three times, but never at the same time. Until this year.

Iconic American Legion Baseball managers Jim Peck of Minnesota’s Excelsior Post 259 and Mickey McKeel of Tennessee’s Columbia Post 19 have each brought three teams to Alaska over the years. But never at the same time.

Until now.

The national powers are both participating in the Alaska Airlines Tournament Tour along with Utah’s Lone Peak Post 19.

This is the most star-studded talent in the history of the series, with Peck and McKeel combining for more than 2,500 career victories.

The 78-year-old Peck ranks No. 5 all-time in Legion history with 1,778 wins and the 58-year-old McKeel has racked up more than 750 wins and owns a Legion World Series title from 2007.

Neither general manager is on the field these days, but they remain in the dugout and their shadow looms large over the programs they made famous.

Peck is in his 55th year of coaching baseball in Minnesota, where he has turned Excelsior into a national powerhouse. Twice he led the team within striking distance of a Legion World Series title, advancing to the title game in 2002 and placing fifth in 1998.

The Excelsior program was in bad shape when he first took over in 1974. The team had won just three games the year before he coached.

“It was mostly a joke,” Peck told me.

From joke to juggernaut.

“We haven’t had a losing season in well over 40 years,” he said.

Peck started coaching as a way to volunteer in his community. Giving back was something he learned from his dad. He called it being a do-gooder, and he’s done well at it.

The coaching legend has been inducted into the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame, the Minnesota American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame and the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Post 259 retired his No. 39 jersey.

“We changed in the fact that it was going to be more baseball oriented and we were going to start playing more games,” Peck said. “You can’t play 15 games a year and expect to be halfway successful unless you’ve got a really small roster. We usually have 18 kids and try to play as many games as possible against real tough competition.”

In 1977, Peck created the Gopher Classic, which is now the largest Legion tournament in the country with 98 teams. His teams have played opponents from 49 of the 50 states.

He also taken his players to Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the Dominican Republic. This is his fourth trip to Alaska.

“We do all kinds of things to make it fun and interesting for the kids,” Peck said. “You can’t do that in high school ball because you’re limited how many games you can play. In Legion, we are only limited by our imagination.”

McKeel has a wild imagination. He was crazy enough to think a small town in Tennessee could contend with the most storied programs on the national stage. Then he made it happen, creating a championship culture and a standard for excellence for the last 19 years.

He led Columbia to the Legion World Series title in 2007 and a fifth-place showing in 2014. His teams finished second in the Mid-South Region five times, meaning it was one win away from advancing to the World Series.

“His goal was always to win the World Series,” Columbia head coach Scott Beasley told me. “Nothing else was acceptable.”

Beasley, who played for McKeel on the 2007 national championship team, is one of three former players on the current coaching staff along with assistants Garrett Ammons and Alex McKelvy. McKeel also hosts an annual alumni game to stay connected.

“A testament to Mickey and his approach to the family side of Post 19 is shown in our coaching staff,” Beasley said. “He cares deeply about his former players and tries to keep up with as many of them as possible.”

Last fall, the Columbia family lost Bobby Bratton after a battle with cancer. He was just 31. He left behind a wife and two young daughters.

Since then, McKeel held a fundraiser in honor of Bratton and donated all the proceeds to the family. He created the Bobby Bratton Memorial Scholarship. He retired Bratton’s No. 8 jersey and the team is wearing a No. 8 patch this year in his honor.

“This is just one way to see the type of person Mickey McKeel represents,” Beasley said. “On the field, he was a grizzly bear. Off the field, Mickey is one of the greatest people you will ever know.”

The late, great Chugiak Post 33 manager Bill Lierman Sr. worked tirelessly to provide local kids with exposure to college coaches without leaving Alaska.

The ALB College Coaches Camp will celebrate its 25th year this summer, a testament to the passion of Alaska Legion players to get better as well as to the man that played a driving force in creating the first camp in 1994.

The late, great, longtime Chugiak Post 33 manager Bill Lierman Sr. worked tirelessly to grow youth baseball in Alaska and provide local kids with exposure to college coaches without leaving the state.

Sadly, he passed away in 2004. He will not be forgotten and we salute his dedication to the game.

This year’s Summer College Coaches Camp will be held June 18-21 at Mulcahy Stadium.

Once again, Alaska Legion players will receive one-on-one instruction from eight college coaches for four days.

There are no Legion games that week, so AA and A players have plenty of time to work on throwing, batting, pitching and base running drills.

You're never too cool to fine tune fundamentals.

Take advantage of player evaluations and earn a chance to play the Anchorage Bucs of the Alaska Baseball League on June 21.

Coming from a military family, Cody Quelland of Soldotna was born with discipline in his DNA and an urge to serve his country. His journey will begin at the United States Military Academy.

Be all you can be isn’t just a slogan for the U.S. Army, it’s a way of life for Cody Quelland of Soldotna.

Coming from a military household, he was born with discipline in his DNA and an urge to serve his country. He always wanted to follow his family’s footsteps and dreamed of attending a prestigious military academy after graduating high school.

Now 18, Quelland earned his diploma this month and got his wish with an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point in New York.

“The military has always been a big part of my family,” he told me, “with my grandpa, father, brother and countless cousins serving in the Air Force, Coast Guard and Navy. My grandpa, two uncles and my cousin are on a list of Army veterans I hope to join.”

The Kenai Legion Post 20 catcher will play baseball in Alaska until July, when he has to leave for basic training at West Point.

“I don't mind the thought of the military lifestyle,” he said. “West Point will help guide me in the direction that will better myself for my military service as well as my professional career. A military life may sound gruesome to some people but to a person who has lived in small-town Soldotna his whole life, having this level of guidance will surely help me in the long run.”

West Point students must participate in an athletic activity in addition to fulfilling school and military requirements. He plans to play baseball and try other sports such as lacrosse, rugby and paintball. All the while he will take classes and participate in military drills morning, noon and night.

It’s a grueling work load that can sink some cadets but Quelland is confident he will make it because he was raised to conquer challenges, not run from them.

Take baseball. He plays catcher, a demanding and exhausting position that’s not for the faint of heart. It requires durability and demands toughness. Just like the Army.

“I'm willing to do anything and everything for my team,” he said. “Being a team player and leader fits nicely with the military lifestyle. From my family that has served in the military, the one thing that always comes up is the brotherhood that is built between soldiers and the trust that they have in one another. Every person has a responsibility and if they fail at their job, the entire team suffers.”

Quelland graduated Soldotna High with a 4.2 grade-point average. He doesn’t have a set major for college in mind but believes it could be engineering.

“I'm sure West Point will expose me to career field I haven't seen or even considered,” he said. “I see the military as a stepping stone. West Point grants me an education at one of the most prestigious schools in the country, allows me to participate in sports and allows me a job directly out of college. I don't know if I will continue my military service after my five years of required service but it is a possibility.”

Luke Mallinger drove in Michael Cesar with the winning run in the seventh inning to lift the Crimson Bears to a dramatic victory over the Wolverines in the championship game of the ASAA/First National Bank State Baseball Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

Mallinger drove in all three runs to continue his incredible tournament performance and Kasey Watts threw 115 pitches and earned the winning decision as Juneau won its first state title since 2012 and the fourth in school history.

Watts got the start and went six strong, giving way to Donavin McCurley after three consecutive shutout innings. Watts gave up two hits and six walks while striking out three. McCurley earned the save and left the tying run on third base.

South was playing in its state record sixth straight state title game.

The Wolverines looked good early after taking leads of 1-0 and 2-1 after the first three innings.

Jacob Woodall drove in Lian Lincoln in the first inning and Lincoln singled and later scored on a wild pitch in the third inning.

Woodall pitched the entire game for South, scattering eight hits over seven innings with five strikeouts. He threw 110 pitches in his complete game.

In the seventh inning, South’s Luke Giffen led off with a walk and advanced to second base on Lincoln’s sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Giffen moved to third on a balk but McCurley left him there after ending the game with a flyout to center field.

Mallinger’s sacrifice fly scored Juneau’s first run in the third inning and he doubled in the tying run in the fifth inning. The slugger finished 6-for-10 with nine RBIs in three tournament games and would have won the MVP award if there was one.

Cody Kemble tossed a four-hitter with 10 strikeouts in a complete-game effort to lead the victorious Kings in the third-place game of the ASAA/First National Bank State Baseball Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

He carried a shutout into the sixth inning and finished his seven innings of work with a total of 96 pitches.

Kemble got it done at the plate as well, going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and a run.

Ketchikan’s Wyatt Barajas went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run.

Tug Olson doubled twice and drove in a run.

For the Kings, it was their best finish at the state tournament since finishing second in 2012. They were fifth in 2016 and sixth in 2015.

Colony’s Carson McLaughlin got half of his team's four hits.

Zach Satterly got a base hit, scored a run and pitched five innings with four strikeouts.

This is the second time Colony has placed fifth at the state tournament since 2014. The Knights were seventh last year.

The Mustangs broke out the big sticks and smashed nine extra-base hits en route to winning the fourth-place game of the ASAA/First National Bank State Baseball Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

Christian Cambridge tripled and hit an inside-the-park home run to highlight the 16-hit attack. DJ Davis and Brian Wing tripled and Braden Shackleford hit two doubles.

Ian Frizelle went 3-for-3 and Wing finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

Garrett Nevells pitched all seven innings to earn the winning decision. He allowed nine hits and one earned run. He struck out seven.

Chugiak finished the season 17-3 and were winners of the Cook Inlet Conference.

Palmer won a school-record 11 games this season and the Southcentral Conference championship to help them qualify for the state tournament for the first time.

Alasdair McKechnie went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Anthony Jones was 2-for-2 for the Moose.

Gage Webster pitched a dominant game with 13 strikeouts and Josh Costello singled in the go-ahead run as the Wolverines beat the Kings in the semifinals of the ASAA/First National Bank State Baseball Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

The sophomore southpaw threw 6.2 innings and retired 15 straight batters from the second inning to the seventh inning before coming out after 119 pitches and two outs in the seventh. The limited is 120.

Webster’s masterpiece powered the Wolverines to the state championship game against Juneau-Douglas on Saturday at 4 p.m. It’s South’s sixth straight appearance in the final, with the team winning titles in 2016 and 2013.

With the scored tied at 2-2 in the fourth inning, South’s No. 9 hitter Luke Giffen led off with a walk and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt from Lian Lincoln, the Cook Inlet Conference most valuable player. One out later, Costello knocked in Giffen with the go-ahead run.

Terren Sugita gave the Wolverines some breathing room with a two-run triple in the seventh inning. Reid Brock also drove in a run.

Ketchikan got a wonderful pitching performance from starter Wyatt Barajas, who threw 114 pitches over 6.1 innings and danced around trouble all night.

He scattered eight hits and six walks, but left the bases loaded in the first inning and wiggled out of two-on, two-out jams in each of the third and fourth innings. Barajas had 1-2-3 frames in the fifth and sixth innings.

Cody Kemble had an RBI single in the first inning and a nine-pitch at-bat in the third. Michael Starr and CJ Jasper scored runs.

Ketchikan will face Colony in third-place game at 1 p.m. Saturday.

This is the second time these teams have played at the state tournament since Ketchikan’s 7-3 victory in 2012.

Luke Mallinger crushed a three-run home run in the first inning to get the Crimson Bears going early on the way to a comfortable win over the Knights in the semifinals of the ASAA/First National Bank State Baseball Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

Juneau outhit Colony 12-5 and led 10-0 in the fourth inning before putting things into cruise control. With the win, the Bears reached the state championship game for the first time since winning it all in 2012.

Mallinger finished with four RBIs. Donavin McCurley went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs and two runs and Michael Cesar went 2-for-3 with a double RBI and two runs.

Juneau's Kasey Watts did a little bit of everything. He batted 3-for-5 with an RBI at the plate. On the mound he threw three scoreless innings and struck out the side in the third inning on just 11 pitches.

Juneau will play in the state final Saturday at 4 p.m. against the other semifinal winner between South and Ketchikan.

Colony's Zach Satterfly went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Cooper Smith and Kaden Ketchum drove in one run each. Smith also scored twice.

Brayden Methven came out of the bullpen and threw three scoreless innings of relief to keep the Knights in the game.

Starter Keagan Norman threw 108 pitches over his seven-inning complete game effort to highlight his team’s victory in consolation action of the ASAA/First National Bank State Baseball Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

Norman escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning as he finished the game with four straight shutout frames. He got through the seventh inning with just seven pitches. He struck out two batters and allowed seven hits and four walks.

It was the first-ever win for the Moose in this their debut at the state tournament.

Palmer did all of its scoring in the third inning, keyed by Cade Holland’s two-run single and Skyler Hale’s two-out, go-ahead RBI single.

Palmer advanced to the fourth-place game Saturday at 10 a.m. against Chugiak in a battle between conference champions. West Valley’s season ended and the team tied for seventh.

West Valley’s London Emerson and Andrew Troppman combined for four of their team’s seven hits. They also took turns playing pitcher and catcher, serving as the team’s 1-2 punch.

Emerson and Troppman each were 2-for-2 with an RBI to help the Mid Alaska Conference champs build an early 3-0 lead.

Brian Wing and Mason Peace each scored a run in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Mustangs came from behind to beat the Patriots in consolation action of the ASAA/First National Bank State Baseball Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

North Pole starter Gavin Fischer was one out away from collecting a complete-game win before a few defensive errors flipped the script. He pitched well enough to win in his 6.2 innings of work but, in the end, suffered only a hard-luck loss.

Peace hit the ball that led to the tying run and later scored the winning run.

Kolten Ketchum’s two-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning provided a walkoff win for the Knights in the game of the day in the first round of the ASAA/First National Bank State Baseball Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

Trailing 8-3 after five innings, Colony rallied for four runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to snap Chugiak’s nine-game winning streak and advance to the final four for the first time since 2014.

Colony will face Juneau-Douglas in the state semifinals Friday at 4 p.m.

Ketchum, who stood to be the losing pitcher after getting rocked in his start, also delivered a two-run double in the sixth to get the comeback started.

With one out in the seventh, Colony’s Ben Alley drew a walk on a full count and Joe Ryan walked on four straight balls. Trace Severson then reached on a fielder’s choice after a close play at second base. Two pitches later, the game was over.

Starting pitcher Michael Starr didn't allow a base hit for five innings as the Kings scored early and often to beat the Mid Alaska Conference champions in the first round of the ASAA/First National Bank State Baseball Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

His only hiccup came in the fourth inning when he walked the bases loaded and then escaped the jam with a flyout, strikeout and groundout.

Starr also tripled and drove in a run for the Kings of the Southeast Conference.

Ketchikan’s Brock King went 3-for-3 with three RBIs. Gabe Bowlen and Wyatt Barajas each added two RBIs.

This was the third time these two teams met at the state tournament. In 2015, West Valley won 4-0. In 2009, Ketchikan prevailed 1-0.

Ketchikan will next play in the state semifinals Friday night at 7 against the winner of Palmer/South.

West Valley's Billy Renfrew, Gus Jensen and London Emerson drew walks. Emerson also struck out two batters in his one inning of relief.

The Wolfpack next play Friday at 1 p.m. in an elmination game against either Palmer or South.

The top of the lineup combined to go 8-for-11 with eight RBIs and seven runs to power the Southeast Conference champions to a mercy rule win in the first round of the ASAA/First National Bank State Baseball Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

Leadoff hitter Donavin McCurley went 2-for-5 with an RBI and three runs. He also pitched the first three innings and retired six of the final seven batters he faced.

Jacob Dale batted 3-for-3 with four RBIs and two runs. Michael Cesar – the reigning Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year – went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs.

Kasey Wats and Luke Mallinger ripped triples for Juneau-Doulgas, which advanced to the state semifinals for the first time since 2015. The Bears will take on the Chugiak/Colony winner at Friday at 4 p.m.

North Pole banged out four doubles, including two by Ethan Wolfe. Walker Stewart doubled and had two RBIs.

Wyatt Fischer went 2-for-2 and drove in a run.

The Patriots will play either Chugiak or Colony in an elimination game Friday at 10 a.m.

Juneau-Douglas improved to 2-0 against North Pole at the state tournament. The Bears won the other meeting 10-0 back in 2007.

The Wolverines collected 20 hits and got six shutout innings from pitcher Terren Sugita to key a mercy rule win in the first round of the ASAA/First National Bank State Baseball Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

Sugita allowed two hits and six walks and danced around base runners to finish what he started. He struck out a half dozen and maintained his clean sheet after a runner was thrown out at the plate by third baseman Chase Subitch.

South’s Josh Costello went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and Luke Giffen was 3-for-3 and scored three times.

Cook Inlet Conference most valuable player Lian Lincoln batted 3-for-5 with an RBI and four runs. Jacob Woodall was 2-for-3 with three RBIs.

South advanced to the state semifinals for the eighth straight year.

The Wolverines will face Ketchikan at 7 p.m. Friday.

Meanwhile, Palmer was making its first-ever appearance at the state tournament.

The Southcentral Conference champions certainly weren’t overwhelmed by the pressure of the bright lights as the first three innings were tight.

The best scoring chances by Palmer came in the third inning after Owen Hayes led off with a double and in the fourth inning after James Nelson crushed a leadoff triple.

Palmer will hit the field again Friday at 1 p.m. against West Valley in a loser-out game.

The 5-foot-11 senior center fielder led the league in hits, runs, triples and outfield assists, and was voted the Don Rabung CIC MVP.

He wasn’t necessarily the most dangerous hitter in the Cook Inlet Conference, but South’s Lian Lincoln no doubt did the most damage to opposing pitchers.

The 5-foot-11 senior center fielder led the Anchorage high school baseball league in hits, runs, triples and outfield assists, and last night was voted by league coaches as this season’s winner of the Don Rabung CIC MVP Award.

Lincoln is the fourth Wolverines all-star in six years to win the award, joining Jonny Homza in 2017, Willy Homza in 2015 and Max Karnos in 2013.

Lincoln won the CIC batting title with a .500 average in 10 games on 17-for-34 hitting. He scored 15 runs, ripped two triples and drove in eight runs, the fourth-highest RBI total in the league.

Defensively, he made all 10 putouts and added seven assists, including a double play. He also pitched three scoreless innings.

Lincoln and double-duty stud Jacob Woodall were the only South selections to the All-CIC First Team. Woodall tied for the league lead in RBIs (11) and pitching wins (3).

The Mustangs twice rallied in the final two innings to stun the Cougars in extra innings at Bartlett High School and conclude Cook Inlet Conference play with their ninth consecutive victory, including a perfect 3-0 mark in the playoffs.

This win was as impressive as improbable as Chugiak stormed back from deficits of 7-2 in the seventh and 8-7 in the eighth before winning in walkoff fashion after Sam Hall drew a walk on a full count and with the bases loaded to plate Christian Cambridge.

Chugiak had already clinched the conference championship and a berth to the ASAA state tournament. Service, on the other hand, had to win this game to force an if-necessary game with South – a 2-1 winner over West in the other playoff game - for the league’s second state berth.

Service was riding a five-game winning streak and had knocked off No. 1 South and No. 2 West entering the night. It looked like Chugiak would be next, trailing by six runs and down to its final three outs.

But Chugiak has been the best team in the CIC all season and they showed it again as several guys played hero in the comeback. Jacob Kosinski, Ian Frizelle and Gus Lewis had RBIs in the seventh and Cambridge and Hall had RBIs in the eighth.

Service’s Jaren Childs went 2-for-4 with four RBIs. He also started and pitched well enough to win, allowing just three hits and three runs over six innings. His catcher Chris Malagodi was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.

What started as an old-fashioned pitcher's duel ended in extra innings when Terren Sugita drove in the winning run as the Wolverines walked off on the Eagles at Mulcahy Stadium in a must-win playoff game for both teams.

Josh Costello led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a walk off West starter Leland Wilson, the best pitcher in the CIC this year. The starter was pulled after seven-plus in favor of reliever Luis Nunez, who uncorked two wild pitches that allowed Costello to race around to third base.

After West intentionally walked the next two batters to load the bases, Sugita shot a single to center field to score Costello with the game winner.

Both teams pitched and defended well enough to win as both starters completed seven innings and neither team committed an error.

South starter Jacob Woodall actually completed all eight innings with just 100 pitches. He scattered six hits and three walks. He struck out seven batters in what was nothing short of a playoff gem.

Wilson was a tough-luck loser as he allowed just two hits, but that leadoff walk in the eighth came back to bite him. The sophomore southpaw issued five walks but did strike out 10 batters, giving him 44 Ks in four league starts.

West took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning after Nunez delivered a two-out base hit to score Declan Dammeyer. However, in the bottom half, South answered when Damian Mohl doubled and scored on Lian Lincoln's RBI single to tie it at 1-1.

South’s win, coupled with Service’s loss, means the Wolverines qualified for state for the eighth straight year

Henry Helgeson pitched 5.2 innings and then moved to third base and immediately snared a line drive to end the scoring threat in what might have been the defining play of the game to carry the Cougars at Mulcahy Stadium.

Nathan Cole recorded a four-out save and Chris Malagodi had three RBIs for Service has won five games in a row to propel itself into a three-way chase with South and West for the CIC’s second and final berth to the ASAA state tournament.

Hutton Stiles stroked a pair of triples and finished 3-for-3 with three runs. Sam Bourdon and Dalton Conti also had RBIs.

The Cougars overcame six errors to hold off the Eagles.

West’s Declan Dammeyer and Leland Wilson each had two hits and an RBI.

Shawn Jones had three runs and three stolen bases. Chris Crespo had a base hit, RBI, run and pitched four innings.

Alex Alverez and Luke Langnes came out of the bullpen to allow just one run over three innings.

Jaren Childs pitched the final six outs to record the save and save his team’s season as the Cougars avoided elimination in the Cook Inlet Conference playoffs at Mulcahy Stadium.

Service led 5-0 before holding on at the end, with Childs inducing a groundball to freshman shortstop Nick Coats, who made a nice play in the hole to register the final out.

The win helped the Cougars avenge a 10-0 loss to South and kept them alive for one of CIC's two berths to the ASAA state tournament.

With two games left in the CIC playoff round, Chugiak leads the way with a 7-1 mark with South (6-2) and West (6-2) one game ahead of Service (5-3).

The Cougars went ahead 6-2 in the fifth inning on Henry Helgeson’s two-out single that scored Childs from second base. Helgeson finished with two RBIs. Nathan Cole and Hutton Stiles added RBIs and leadoff hitter Chris Malagodi scored three runs.

Relief pitcher Reid Brock pitched 4.1 innings and allowed only two hits. Four South pitchers combined to issue 14 walks, but they also wiggled out of a lot of jams and forced Service to leave 14 runners on base.

The Wolverines (6-2) pulled within 6-4 in the sixth inning after Brock scored on a wild pitch and Gage Webster lofted a sacrifice fly.

In the seventh inning, Woodall doubled in a run to make it 6-5, but was left stranded in scoring position.

Ian Frizelle cleared the bases with a two-out, three-run triple in the first inning to set the tone for the Mustangs at the Mulcahy Stadium as they beat the Eagles for the second time in the last week.

Frizelle finished with six RBIs as he added an RBI groundout in the third inning, a sac fly in the fifth and another RBI groundout in the seventh.

The win put Chugiak in a strong position to snag one of the two berths the Cook Inlet Conference receives to the ASAA state tournament with a one-game lead and two games to play.

Trystan Costanios had a sac fly for Chugiak, which manufactured eight runs despite having half that number of base hits.

Indiana Wesleyan University freshman Parker Johnson of Anchorage hit .275 in 48 games. “The biggest part about college ball was learning what you’re good at and what you suck at and trying to improve …

The bright lights of the NAIA National Tournament didn’t intimidate Indiana Wesleyan University freshman Parker Johnson of Anchorage.

The third baseman went 3-for-9 and got base hits in both games as Indiana Wesleyan suffered consecutive losses and was eliminated from the Lawrenceville Bracket in Georgia.

“The national tournament was intense,” he told me. “I’m really excited to start the journey to get back there next year and put our team in a better position to make it to Lewiston.”

Johnson, of South Legion Post 4 fame, batted 2-for-5 with a double in a 10-7 loss to Point University of Georgia and 1-for-4 in a 12-2 loss to Lyon College of Arkansas.

Overall, he hit .275 in 48 games with eight doubles and 20 RBIs.

“The season was fun. I enjoyed playing so many games as opposed to the typical season in Alaska,” Johnson said. “I made a lot of adjustments on and off the field to try and improve my performance in games.

“The biggest part about college ball was learning what you’re good at and what you suck at and trying to improve the things you suck at quickly.”

The Wolverines banged out eight extra-base hits en route to a runaway victory over the Golden Bears at Bartlett High School in a win that clinched the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Cook Inlet Conference playoff round.

Jacob Woodall collected two doubles, three hits and five RBIs. Brody Jessee doubled twice and drove in four RBIs. Terren Sugina doubled, tripled and had four RBIs.

Chase Subitch was winning pitcher for South, which has won 16 straight games in the series dating back to 2005.

Braden Olmstead pitched a no-hitter for seven innings but had to wait for a walkoff win to celebrate at Mulcahy Stadium.

Sterling Retzlaff smashed a leadoff triple to right field and scored two pitches later on a soft single to left field by Brendan Miles. Once the game ended, the Eagle River players rushed the field in celebration that ended with Olmstead being mobbed.

The sophomore southpaw needed only 70 pitches and faced the minimum 21 batters.

This no-hitter was different than others in the Cook Inlet Conference in recent years because he got 21 outs. It’s a traditional no-no. Not one of those abbreviated, mercy-rule shortened deals.

Dimond's Kaden Roettger walked in the second inning and was erased on a double play. Another Dimond base runner was caught stealing after reaching on an error.

Defensively, Eagle River center fielder Abel Davis made a nice diving catch and first baseman Miles made a couple nice catches on pop ups under windy conditions.

Eagle River has four of the last five meetings with Dimond, yet the Lynx still hold an 11-5 edge since 2007.

Justin Rocco Nevells drove go-ahead run in the fifth inning and pitched the final four outs for the save to lead the Mustangs over the previously league unbeaten Eagles at Mulcahy Stadium.

Christian Cambridge led off the fifth with a walk and then stole two bases before eventually coming home on a two-out single by Nevells. Cambridge also drove in a run with an RBI single in the sixth inning.

Garrett Nevells pitched 3.2 innings of relief to earn the win.

West starter Chris Crespo allowed only three hits and two walks over six strong innings of work. Jack Opinsky went 2-for-3 with two runs.

Luke Langness tripled and joined Thomas Zettler with RBIs for the Eagles.

Chugiak has won five straight in the series and leads the all-time matchup 32-11 since 1992.

In one of the wildest games of the CIC season that featured four lead changes and three ties over six innings, the Cougars finally put it away with an 11-run sixth inning to win my mercy rule at Mulcahy Stadium.

Nathan Cole went 3-for-4 and had three RBIs over two at-bats in the final inning, first driving in the go-ahead run with a single and then ending the game with a two-run single.

Service’s Carsen Sandau went 2-for-2 and added three RBIs, three runs and three stolen bases. Sam Bourdon went 3-for-4 with an RBI.

In the fifth, Bartlett’s Connor Sessoms and Julian Cepeda delivered back-to-back two-out RBI singles to tie the game at 4-4. In the sixth, Ryan Wood’s two-run single put the Bears up 6-5. Wood also pitched 5.1 innings in a strong start.

Five was the magic number for the Eagles, who used five straight hits to fuel a five-run third inning to get them to 5-0 in the Cook Inlet Conference after winning the battle of unbeatens at Mulcahy Stadium.

That big inning was all West needed as the victory snapped South's 14-game winning streak in league games dating back to a 6-0 loss to Service in 2016.

Shawn Jones, Jack Opinsky and Chris Crespo each had had RBIs for the Eagles.

West starter Thomas Zettler went all seven innings, scattering six hits and four walks. Just one run was earned.

South starter Gage Webster also went the distance and struck out 10 batters, having only that one bad inning. Lian Lincoln doubled, tripled and scored a run. Chase Subitch collected his team's only RBI.

The top of the lineup set the tone for the Wolverines as Lian Lincoln, Chase Subitch and Jacob Woodall combined for five hits, five runs, three walks and two RBIs at Bartlett High School.

South built a 7-0 cushion off Dimond ace Jake Andresen after scoring three runs in the first inning, three in the second and another in the third.

Anthony Maioreillo added two RBIs and Reid Brock and Gage Webster each drove in one.

Woodall started and pitched five innings before giving way to Brody Jessee, who pitched two shutout innings of relief.

Dimond's Conor Bates-Janigo went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBIs. Quinn Bates-Janigo drove in another run. Andresen, who settled down on the mound after a rough start, scored two runs along with battery mate Jack Dolan.

Kenai's Paul Steffensen and Soldotna's Jake Darrow finished 1-2 for the batting title in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference.

The batting title chase in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference was a two-man race between a couple of guys from the same Kenai Peninsula community.

Kenai's Paul Steffensen and Soldotna's Jake Darrow battled down to the wire after spending much of the season matching each other knock for knock and taking turns leading the league in hitting.

Steffensen’s .404 average edged his baseball buddy for the title by just five percentage points in race that came down to the final few at-bats. Darrow finished at .399.

“Both of us are very highly competitive and I definitely wanted to beat him,” Darrow told me. “I think I probably wanted to beat him more than actually win the batting title, but I never wanted to see him fail. I just wanted to do better.”

Both players made Alaska baseball look good, especially the Kenai Legion Post 20 program where they played. Steffensen won a state title with the Twins in 2016 and Darrow won a state championship in 2012.

In 2018, both players were named first team all-stars in the ACCAC.

“I think (our success) says a lot about baseball players out of the Kenai Peninsula and Alaska as a whole,” Darrow said. “It just goes to show that it doesn’t matter where you come from if you work hard enough.”

Steffensen is a freshman left fielder for Mesa Community College. He led the league with 84 hits in 54 games, including a league-high 10 triples. He was fifth with 117 total bases.

He got a base hit in his first game and kept it going, reaching 26 straight games, which is believed to be the longest hitting streak by a collegiate player from Alaska.

“I just try to simplify things as much as I can,” Steffensen told me. “It’s still baseball wherever you’re playing it. Yeah, the pitching is going to be better and the teams will be better, but for the most part it’s still baseball.”

Darrow is a sophomore center fielder for Eastern Arizona College. He had 65 hits in 47 games and batted .519 in his team’s 16 wins. He also struck out only 14 times in 184 plate appearances.

He returned to competitive baseball in 2017 for the first time in three years after sitting out as a redshirt at another school and then taking part in a two-year religious mission.

Darrow’s past prepared him for success in the future.

“Being a part of the American Legion in Alaska and Post 20 program was some of the best years of my life and we always competed and played hard,” Darrow said. “Post 20 has had great coaches involved for years who have focused on playing the game the right way.”

Pitchers Ian Frizelle and Justin Nevells limited the Wolves to three hits and benefited from a late explosion from the offense to lead the Mustangs at Mulcahy Stadium.

Seven different Chugiak players got hits, five drove in runs and five scored runs - Brian Wing did all three.

Mason Pearce, DJ Davis, Nevells and Sam Hall also had RBIs for Chugiak.

Eagle River's Sterling Retzlaff went 2-for-3 and drove in Abel Davis with his team's only run. Starter Daniel Bodine didn't pitch poorly in the tough-luck loss, giving up five hits and no walks over five innings.

Lian Lincoln took care of the offense and pitchers Brody Jessee and Ryan Bailey combined for eight strikeouts as the Wolverines won their 12th consecutive CIC league game in a win streak that dates back to last year.

Lincoln went 3-for-4 with two runs, a double and stolen base. He was on base in the first inning when a balk was called, moving him into scoring position. He later scored on Josh Costello’s RBI single.

In the next inning, Lincoln and Anthony Maioriello each scored runs on RBIs from Luke Giffen and Jacob Woodall.

Eagle River’s Joshua Linn scored his team's lone run and pitched three shutout innings of relief. Josh Agron singled and stole two bags.

Billy Smith faced the minimum 18 batters on his way to pitching 1-hitter over his six-inning complete-game effort at Bartlett High School to help the Mustangs continue their recent success against the Cougars.

Smith needed only 56 pitches and faced only one 3-ball count. He struck out four and walked zero as Chugiak improved to 6-1 against Service since 2015.

Garrett Nevells had two RBIs and joined Christian Cambridge, Ian Frizelle and Smith to collect a hit, a run and an RBI. Bran Wing doubled and had two stolen bases.

Service pinch-hitter Hutton Stiles broke up the no-hitter with a leadoff single but was erased the very next play on a double play.

Ketchikan’s Nathan Bonck registered a hold and earned the win in back-to-back games as Seattle inched closer to third place in the NCAA D1 Western Athletic Conference.

Ketchikan’s Nathan Bonck played a pivotal role out of the Seattle University bullpen to help the Redhawks claim a series win against Cal State Bakersfield.

The left-hander’s fingerprints were all over two wins as the sophomore registered a hold and earned the win in back-to-back games as Seattle inched closer to third place in the NCAA D1 Western Athletic Conference.

He worked the seventh and eighth innings to hold the lead in an 8-6 win, striking out four of the nine batters he faced. He gave up one hit, walks and an unearned run.

The next day Bonck worked 2.1 innings in relief to earn his third win of the season in a 10-4 victory. He gave up three hits and a run.

For the season, the 6-foot-5 former Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year has a 3-1 record and 3.31 ERA. He has struck out 17 batters in 16.1 innings over a dozen appearances.

Anchorage's Joe Fitka made Alaska history when the Chicago State University starter pitched a 9-inning complete game in a 4-3 win over Utah Valley in the windy city.

As a closer on a struggling team, Anchorage’s Joe Fitka figured the best way to get an opportunity to finish a game was to start one.

Then he went out and still finished it.

The Chicago State University sophomore right-hander threw a 5-hit complete game on 140 pitches to highlight a 4-3 walkoff win over Utah Valley University in the Western Athletic Conference.

“I felt good,” Fitka told me. “My splitter got me some good Ks; my curve was a little up at times but pretty good when needed; and my fastball was on command for the most part.”

Fitka, of Dimond Post 21 fame, walked two, struck out five and gave up just one earned run.

Chicago State fell behind 3-0 after an error allowed two unearned runs to score, but Fitka stayed strong and didn’t focus on the score.

“I just decided that I needed to get my team back into the game and I went out there and put up zeros, which let my team have a good opportunity to score some runs,” he said. “I wouldn’t go as far as best outing of my life, but yes it was a great outing and I look forward to more good outings in the future. My stuff was on. Never know what you got until you are throwing your warm-ups.”

Fitka is just the sixth Alaska pitcher to throw all 9 innings in a NCAA D1 game.

The other five are Anchorage’s Max Karnos with Sacramento State in 2016, Sitka’s Matt Way with Washington State in 2009, Anchorage’s Corey Madden with Saint Mary’s in 2006, Anchorage’s Anton Maxwell with Oregon State in 2005 and Juneau’s Dylan Hickey with Dayton in 2003.

Fitka improved his record to 1-2 in 13 appearances, including four starts. He also owns a team-best three saves, making him one of only three Alaskans to get a win and a save in the same D1 season, joining Madden in 2006 and Juneau’s Chad Bentz with Long Beach State in 2001.

“I think that’s a pretty crazy thing to think about,” Fitka said of the historic significance of his CG. “I went from closer to starter because I was mad that our team wasn’t getting me in a position to come in and get the save or pitch in general.”

The Lynx beat Juneau-Douglas, Ketchikan, Sitka and Thunder Mountain by a 21-9 combined score at high school tournament in Sitka.

No doubt Dimond all-star Jake Andresen is the driving force behind the Lynx.

He’s a college-ready pitcher and one of the best hitters in the Cook Inlet Conference.

But the senior standout knows baseball is a team game and he was quick to credit the unsung underclassmen, a group of guys Dimond will need this year to contend for a conference championship.

The Lynx looked like the total package at last week’s high school tournament in Sitka, where they earned a clean sweep over Southeast teams with four wins by a 21-9 combined score.

“The younger guys on the team showed up and really proved themselves and showed they could play on the team,” Andresen told me. “I’d say the key to our success this weekend was we played very well together as a team, and individually everyone played great.”

Count him among those individuals.

The Mesa Community College commit batted 5-for-10 with four extra-base hits and four RBIs. Other hitting stars for Dimond were Quinn Bates Janigo [.417] and Jack Dolan [.375].

“With hitting, we now have a 70-foot hitting cage, and I think that really helped improve with everyone’s swing before seeing real live pitching,” Andresen said. “We were aggressive, but also patient.”

Andresen and Kaden Roettger each pitched scoreless appearances.

“Coach Josh Ellis really emphasized first-pitch strikes and pounding the strike zone, and executing important two-strike pitches,” Andresen said. “Once I got the first strike I felt like I had already won the at-bat. Getting into an 0-2, 1-2 count really helped set up my curveball.”

Northern Illinois University senior Scooter Bynum of Fairbanks recently joined the 100-RBI club to become rare 200-hit, 100-run, 100-RBI college player from Alaska.

Scooter Bynum of Fairbanks continues to carve out his place in history among the greatest college baseball players from Alaska.

The Northern Illinois University senior standout surpassed the third major milestone of his career by adding his name to the 100-RBI club.

In the last few weeks he’s also surpassed the 200-hit and 100-run plateau, a rarity for college players from Alaska.

Bynum was the Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year in baseball and basketball in 2014 and that same year was drafted in the 18th round by the Cincinnati Reds – the third-highest non-pitcher pick from Alaska.

He went to school rather than play in the minor leagues to begin his pro career.

The center fielder played his first two seasons at Arizona Western College before transferring to Northern Illinois, a NCAA D1 program in the Mid-America Conference.

Anchorage's Joe Fitka of Chicago State and Anchorage's Dalton Chapman of Grand Canyon have accomplished big things for Alaska in the Western Athletic Conference.

They pitch for different teams in the Western Athletic Conference, but Joe Fitka of Chicago State and Dalton Chapman of Grand Canyon are both from Anchorage.

And together both 6-foot-5 right-handers have accomplished big things for the state of Alaska at college baseball’s top level.

Fitka leads Chicago State with three saves and is believed to be the first Alaska pitcher to earn a save in a NCAA D1 game since 2015 when Anchorage’s Corey Madden did it with Saint Mary’s.

Meanwhile, Chapman has a 2.73 ERA over his last four appearances and earned the win against Kansas to make him the first Alaskan to do that in a D1 game since 2016 when Max Karnos of Anchorage did it with Sacramento State.

Grand Canyon will host Chicago State in a three-game series starting Friday in Phoenix, Arizona.

Fitka, of Dimond Legion Post 21 fame, has emerged as the Chicago State closer and is 3-for-4 in save opportunities. His last appearances came against nationally ranked Central Florida.

Two of his saves were of the six-out variety.

Fitka [0-1] has struck out 17 batters in just 12.2 innings.

Chapman, of West Legion Post 1 fame, threw a season-high 3.2 innings against Kansas and continued a strong surge after a rough start to the season.

The beginning was brutal for Chapman, who allowed nine runs and five extra-base hits in his first three appearances stretching just 4.2 innings.

Since then, though, he’s been lights out and allowed just one extra-base hit over the last 6.2 innings.

Northern Illinois outfielder Scooter Bynum of Fairbanks became the third Alaskan since 2001 to collect 200 career base hits at the college level.

After winning Gatorade state player-of-the-year honors in basketball and baseball as a senior in high school, Scooter Bynum of Fairbanks had his choice of what sport to play in college.

He picked baseball and never looked back.

Bynum was drafted in the MLB in 2014 but instead went to school, where he has enjoyed historic success by becoming the just the third Alaskan since 2001 to collect 200 career base hits at the college level.

He joined an exclusive club that already included a pair of hitters from Juneau in Lance Ibesate, who collected his 200th hit with Jamestown in 2014, and Rob Conway, who did it with Iowa State in 2001.

“I always thought basketball was my thing and what would help me pay for college. When I chose baseball, I didn’t realize how hard the game was mentally not only physically,” Bynum told me.

“You can hit all day and it still may not click when the lights come on. It’s all about attitude and confidence.”

Bynum, of Fairbanks Legion Post 30 fame, has banged out 75 hits in 72 games at Northern Illinois, a NCAA D1 school in the Mid-American Conference. Before that he had 125 hits in 105 games at Arizona Western.

The outfielder is hitting .313 in 177 career games.

Conway reached the 200-hit milestone at Mendocino College and Iowa State. Afterwards he played three seasons of independent pro ball.

Bynum hopes to go pro after college as well.

“I’m not done yet,” he said. “I’m just trying to elongate my career as long as possible. I’ve always just wanted to be the best player I can be. I’m just happy I’ve had good people in my life that support me.

“We need more people in my city and state taking the game serious. I would love to be a guy who makes it and actually comes back to Alaska.”

Philip Wall of Juneau needed just 81 pitches to complete a 4-1 victory in seven innings in his first start with the University of Northwestern in St. Paul, Minnesota.

University of Northwestern-St. Paul’s Philip Wall of Juneau threw everything he had at Bethany College and it proved to be more than enough.

The freshman right-hander needed just 81 pitches to complete a 4-1 victory in seven innings in Florida, where the NCAA D3 school from Minnesota is currently taking part in a 10-game tour through the sunshine state.

Wall, of Juneau Legion Post 25 fame, struck out only one batter while allowing five hits and one walk. He pitched to contact and trusted his defense to make plays behind him.

“I relied on my two-seam fastball but threw a generous amount of off-speed pitches to keep the hitters off balance,” he told me. “My slurve was breaking sharper than normal due to a moderate wind out to left field. Along with the slurve, my circle change and knuckleball were breaking nicely and I was able to utilize them in various counts.”

Wall played an instrumental part in helping Juneau win last summer’s Alaska Legion State Tournament championship.

This was his first start with Northwestern-St. Paul.

“I just kept telling myself that I had a job to do and to make the most of the opportunity I had been given,” he said. “To settle my nerves throughout the game, I try to not think of games as 7 or 9 segments with increasing pressure and intensity, but one continuous flow of energy and concentration.”

Lewis-Clark State freshman reliever Raleigh Pigg of Anchorage made a dynamic debut with two shutout innings and was rewarded with his first college win.

Lewis-Clark State freshman reliever Raleigh Pigg of Anchorage made a dynamic debut with two shutout innings and was rewarded with his first college win.

The 6-foot-3 right-hander struck out four of nine batters he faced and got two more hitters to ground out in a 5-4 walkoff win over Concordia in Lewiston, Idaho.

“It's a pretty great feeling,” Pigg told me about getting the win in his first appearance.

Lewis-Clark State – the No. 1-ranked NAIA team – scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

“I knew there was a chance I could be coming in at any time during any game, so when coach told me to get ready I was ready for it,” he said. “Once I took the mound my adrenaline was definitely pumping, though, and there were some nerves, but I settled down after a batter.”

Pigg, of Service Post 28 fame, worked around two hits and a walk, thanks to his command with his fastball and slider.

“I was really confident with both pitches and I spotted them both up well,” he said. “My confidence I really high right now. Leading up to the games this weekend and throughout the spring I have thrown well in intrasquads, so I was confident I would be able to throw good when I got the chance in a game.”

Each Legion AA team plays 18 league games – 14 divisional games and 4 crossover games with the other division. The top eight teams advance to the State Tournament and the bottom eight play in the Mats…

The Alaska Legion Baseball standings will have a new-look the next few summers.

Every two years the league switches up the two 8-team divisions in an attempt to mix it up and give teams the opportunity to play new teams.

Each Legion AA team plays 18 league games – 14 divisional games and 4 crossover games with the other division.

The top eight teams advance to the State Tournament and the bottom eight play in the Matson Invitational. Both tournaments are July 26-31 in Anchorage.

The Alliance for Support of American Legion Baseball in Alaska provided 4 Alaska Airlines tickets for the raffle. There is no charge to the teams that participate in the raffle for the prize.

American Legion Baseball Raffle Information/Guidelines

· The Alliance for Support of American Legion Baseball in Alaska will provide the 4 Alaska Airlines tickets for the raffle. There will be no charge to the teams that participate in the raffle for the prize.

· The Dimond Alumni will administrate the raffle using their permit. Dimond Alumni receives 5% of the gross sales for the use and administration of the raffle.

· The cost to print the raffle tickets will be divided evenly between the teams that participate in the raffle.

· Tickets will sell for $10.00. Teams net proceeds will be $9.45 - $9.48 per ticket (depending on the cost of the raffle ticket).

· All monies collected will be deposited in the Dimond Alumni Gaming Account (State requirement). Deposit slips will be mailed out to the Dimond Alumni Gaming Account. Each team will be making their own deposits and notify Don Winchester via email (donwinchester@yahoo.com) of the amount and date of the deposit.

· All stubs of tickets sold must be turned in (for drawing)

· All unsold tickets must be turned in

· Lost tickets are sellers responsibility.

· Drawing will be July 8th at the BP Tournament

· Any question call Don Winchester 529-8550 cell

Money raised will go toward the following in this order:

1. Team Fee CIC teams and Legion AA and A Teams.

2. Individual players fees for CIC teams and player fee for Legion teams 2018. Once these figures are reached.

3. Legion team travel via airlines in - state, i.e. travel to and from Southeast Alaska and Kodiak. Once these figures are reached.

4. Legion team ground or other in-state travel up to $3,000.00 per team based on submitted receipts. This should apply to bus travel, ground and water transportation, hotels, dorms and other travel items with receipts. This is done after expenses directly paid by Legion teams with receipts provided to the alliance for documentation of costs. The limit is $3,000.00 per team.

Ground Rules:

1. Teams must opt in and Post Managers/designee is responsible for all raffle tickets and money turned in.

2. Tickets will be issued in mid December. Teams can choose how many raffle tickets they want to sell.

3. All CIC team and player monies must be turned in no later than April 23, 2018.

4. All Legion Team fees monies must be turned in no later than May 25.

5. All Legion player fees monies must be turned in no later than June 8, 2018.

All other monies and tickets sold and unsold must be turned in no later than June 21. Drawing will take place on July 8, 2018 at the BP Invitational.

Legion team travel is to be paid by individual teams on their own and then they will be reimbursed depending on amount of raffle monies turned in toward Legion air travel.

Join Everett Community College head coach John ‘JoJo’ Howie and his staff for this high-paced, informative, can’t-miss camp open to all players ages 9-18.

Join Everett Community College head coach John ‘JoJo’ Howie and his staff for this high-paced, informative, can’t-miss camp open to all players ages 9-18.

The Winter College Coaches Camp is coming back to Anchorage for the tenth time for three days from Jan. 12 to 14 at Service High School and to Juneau for the first time for one day on Jan. 15 at the Dimond Park Field House.

Everett is one of the premier programs in the NWAC, playing in the championship game 3 of the last 5 years while carving out a sparking .677 winning percentage.

The Trojans also have a history of helping Alaskans advance to the next level.

Save money with early registration.

Receive in-depth instruction in all aspects of the game, detailed practice lesson plans and important information for youth coaches and parents.

Get a jump on the 2018 season with early spring training and learn what it takes to play baseball at the next level from guys that sit in a college dugout.

This camp is sponsored by the Alliance for Support of American Legion Baseball in Alaska, BP, Matson and Alaska Airlines.

With limited slots per group, register now.

Get a jump on the season with early spring training

It's never too early to think about spring. And it's never too early to think about the upcoming season.

Your swing will thank you later.

Learn what it takes to play college at next level

Join the Everett coaches for an honest discussion about what it takes to play college baseball.

The Sockeyes were led in hitting at the showcase event by Chugiak Post 33 slugger Christian Cambridge, who batted .467 in five games. He also stole six bases.

The best local Legion players from around the state helped the Alaska Baseball Academy to a strong showing to close out the Arizona Senior Fall Classic.

The Sockeyes were led in hitting at the showcase event by Chugiak Post 33 slugger Christian Cambridge, who batted .467 in five games. He also stole six bases.

Cambridge, Jake Andresen of Dimond Post 21 and Cooper Bailey-Parsons of Service Post 28 had the best showing and piqued the interest of several college coaches, said ABA manager Tony Wylie.

In a 5-3 loss to Team California, Cambridge went 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI double. Shawn Jones of West Post 1 and Bailey-Parsons each had two stolen bases. Billy Smith of Chugiak and Lian Lincoln of South Post 4 each had base hits.

Trosky Baseball blasted a home run in the first inning and never looked back en route to an 11-0 win. The Sockeyes managed just two hits a double from James Arend of Wasilla Post 35 and a single by Lincoln.

“Trosky Baseball is another California all-star squad and without doubt in the top two or three teams in the 70-team field,” Wylie said.

In the final game, NorCal Baseball scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to pull out a 3-2 win. Kasey Watts of Juneau Post 25 gave the Sockeyes a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a two-run single. Pitching kept the Alaskans in the game, including stellar relief from Andresen, Cambridge, West’s Leland Wilson and South’s Chase Subitch.

After dropping the first game, the Alaskans edged a team from southern California 3-2 behind the batting of Service’s Cooper Bailey-Parsons and pitching of West’s Chris Crespo.

Most of the names are different, but representing the Alaska Baseball Academy Sockeyes still brings out the best in these local ballplayers.

Some of the best Alaska Legion players from the state are part of the travel team participating in the Arizona Senior Fall Classic, a 70-team event that draws hundreds of college recruiters and dozens of MLB scouts.

After dropping the first game, the Alaskans edged a team from southern California 3-2 behind the batting of Service’s Cooper Bailey-Parsons and pitching of West’s Chris Crespo.

Bailey-Parsons celebrated his 18th birthday with a 3-for-3 showing at the plate with two double and two runs scored.

Crespo pitched a two-hitter of six innings of work.

“Crespo had pinpoint command and used his off-speed pitches to induce lots of ground balls,” ABA manager Tony Wylie said.

Christian Cambridge of Chugiak collected three hits and stole 2 bases and South’s Lian Lincoln and Luke Giffen also had base hits.

In the first game, Alaska lost to the D’backs from Canada despite a quality start by Dimond’s Jake Andresen, who struck out seven in 4.2 innings.

“It was nice to see three colleges waiting to talk with Jake after the game. I believe he received two on-the-spot offers,” Wylie said.

Cambridge and West’s Shawn Jones each had two stolen bases while Kasey Watts and Michael Cesar of Juneau were part of the hit parade.

The eighth annual Professional Baseball Clinic is open to kids ages 9 to 18 of all skill level. The camp will be held one day in Wasilla on Nov. 10 at the Menard Memorial Center and three days in Anch…

Professional baseball coaches Brent Strom and Ralph Dickenson of the Houston Astros are coming back to Alaska.

This is your chance to receive 1-on-1 instruction from Major League Baseball coaches.

The eighth annual Professional Baseball Clinic is open to kids ages 9 to 18 of all skill level. The camp will be held one day in Wasilla on Nov. 10 at the Menard Memorial Center and three days in Anchorage on Nov. 10-12 at South Anchorage High School.

Learn proper technique and training methods from two coaches that have worked with hundreds of professional players since the 1990s.

Get your opportunity to work with the best. Register today.

This event is brought to you by the Alliance of Support of American Legion Baseball in Alaska.

Pitchers will work with Strom, who is in his fifth season as the chief pitching coach with the Astros.

He will emphasis mechanics, repetition, training and pitch development.

Strom has been a champion at every level, winning a College World Series title as a player with Southern Cal in 1970 and a World Series title as a coach with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011.

Dickenson will show hitters proper ways to attack the baseball. He will help create bat speed, talk about launch angles and the importance of balance.

After winning the 1969 College World Series as a player at Arizona State, he played five years of minor league ball before becoming a coach.

He joined the MLB ranks in 1990 and worked with Seattle, Milwaukee, Montreal, Los Angeles, Texas, New York and Washington before going to Houston in 2014.

Players, coaches and parents are encouraged to attend. Next season starts now.

The Red Sox benefited from four Service errors, with 9 of the 12 runs coming unearned against pitchers Jaren Childs, Cobey Cupp and Andrew Jaidinger.

The Bitterroot Red Sox of Montana scored early and often en route to a 12-1 victory in seven innings over Service Post 28 in an elimination game at the Northwest Class A Regional Tournament in Eugene, Oregon.

Montana led 1-0 after the first inning, 4-0 after the second and 10-0 after the third.

The Red Sox benefited from four Service errors, with 9 of the 12 runs coming unearned against pitchers Jaren Childs, Cobey Cupp and Andrew Jaidinger.

The Cougars got an RBI double from Ronan Klancher. Nathan Cole and Carsen Sandau delivered Service's other two base hits.

Service, the state runner-up, finished the season 22-11.

Last year, the Cougars won a game at the NWCART. Alaska teams have racked up five victories at the tournament since 2013.

The pitching gem will go down as one of the finest postseason performances by an Alaska Legion player and allowed Juneau to flirt with Alaska’s first victory at Northwest Regionals since 2009.

Donavin McCurley gave Juneau Post 25 every chance to win and give Alaska its first victory at the American Legion Baseball Northwest Regional in almost 10 years.

The right-hander pitched scoreless frames in six of eight innings but was doomed by unearned runs in 3-1 loss to Lewiston, Idaho, in a regional elimination game in Missoula, Montana.

McCurley threw only 89 pitches in his complete-game effort, only to suffer the loss. He deserved better.

He allowed eight hits and walked just one batter. He did not register a strikeout.

McCurley’s gem will go down as one of the finest postseason performances by an Alaska Legion pitcher. It allowed Juneau to flirt with Alaska’s first victory at Northwest Regionals since South Post 4 beat Cheyenne, Wyoming, 5-4 in 2009.

Juneau slugger Bobby Cox lined a two-out RBI single up the middle in the sixth inning to score Bryce Swofford from second base and deliver the lone run for the state champion Midnight Suns.

Cox was the only Juneau player to have run-scoring base hits in both games at regionals. He finished the tournament 4-for-7 at the plate.

Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Juneau committed two errors that doubled the deficit. Both runs Lewiston scored in the second inning were unearned as well.

Lewiston improved to 36-11 on the year and advanced in regional play while Juneau's championship season ended at 27-5.

Led by McCurley, Juneau’s pitching staff gave up a total of 16 runs in two games – the fewest by an Alaska team at regionals in at least the last 10 years.

The fifth inning proved pivotal as Missoula, Montana, scored two runs in the top half and Juneau lined into a double play to thwart a two-on, one-out threat in the bottom half.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Juneau Post 25 Midnight Suns were right there. They trailed Missoula, Montana, 4-1 but had two runners on base. A base hit could have changed the game.

But it never came.

Missed opportunities cost Juneau as the Montana state champions took advantage of their chances and prevailed 13-2 in eight innings on Day 1 of the American Legion Northwest Regional in Missoula, Montana.

The tournament home team banged out 18 hits and scored two or more runs four times, including three in the sixth and four in the eighth.

The 13 runs were the most the Midnight Suns have given up in 31 games this season. Juneau starter Phillip Wall gave up more earned runs in 4.2 innings today than he did in 25 innings in Alaska.

Many Alaska state champions have suffered a similar fate at the Northwest Regional, where our Double-A teams square off against larger Triple-A teams that play twice as many games.

Missoula improved to 53-25 this season, while Juneau dropped to 27-4.

The Midnight Suns were in the game at the midway point before things got out of hand.

The fifth inning proved pivotal as Montana scored two runs in the top half and Juneau lined into a double play to thwart a two-on, one-out threat in the bottom half.

Juneau’s Donavin McCurley went 3-for-4 with a run and Zeb Storie and Bobby Cox each went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Other highlights included Bryce Swofford’s double, Finn Collins’ 10-pitch at-bat that led to a walk and Quin Gist’s pinch-hit single.

Juneau slipped into the loser's bracket, where the Midnight Suns will face Idaho in an elimination game on Thursday morning.

Tournament MVP Zeb Storie hit the go-ahead single in the fifth inning and scored an insurance run in the eighth inning to highlight the victory at Mulcahy Stadium.

The best team in the regular season doesn't always translate to the postseason.

But the Juneau Post 25 Midnight Suns were the real deal from beginning to end.

Fueled by exception speed, Juneau's fine-tuned machine was clicking on all cylinders as the Southeast power beat a pair of Anchorage powers in Service Post 28 and South Post 4 in back-to-back ALB state tournament games at Mulcahy Stadium.

Top-seeded Juneau claimed the title with a 3-1 win over No. 2 seed Service to claim the Post's first state championship since 1984 and third overall.

Coach Joe Tompkins' team won 27 of 30 games this summer and will represent Alaska at next month's Legion AAA Northwest Regional in Missoula, Montana.

Tournament MVP Zeb Storie hit the go-ahead single in the fifth inning and scored an insurance run in the eighth inning to highlight the victory over Service.

Juneau's Finn Collins came out of the bullpen to throw 6.2 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win.

Service starter Jaren Childs allowed five hits over seven innings of work to take a hard-luck loss.

The Cougars [22-9] and coach Willie Paul will represent Alaska at the Northwest Class A Regional Tournament next month in Eugene, Oregon.

Juneau and Service have been neck-and-neck all season and it was no surprise this one came down to the wire.

Three of their previous meetings this season resulted in 4-3 decisions, with two of them coming in walkoff fashion.

They finished 2-2 against each other in leauge and tournament games, the series separated by a single run.

Earlier in the day, Juneau came from behind to shock South 6-5 in 11 innings.

It was shocking in the sense that South led 5-1 going into the bottom of the eighth with ace Parker Johnson on the mound.

Juneau tied the game with only one base hit leaving the infield. They manufactored runs with bunts, stolen bases, walks and errors.

The Midnight Suns run the bases better than any team in Alaska and their willingness to take an extra base at every chance constantly keeps pressure on a pitcher and the defense.

In the 11th, Storie singled with one out to start the winning rally. That was followed by a single from Donavin McCurley and then an intentional walk to Kasey Watts.

That brought up clean up hitter Bryce Swofford, who bounced one to third base, where the ball was mishandled and allowed Storie to score the winning run.

Storie was involved in all of the defining plays today, leading to his MVP recognition. He led the tournament with 11 hits, scored seven runs and reached base at a .652 clip.

Service's Cooper Bailey-Parsons was named Big Stick after batting .455 with five RBIs in five games. Half of his hits went for extra bases and he delivered a number of big hits for the Cougars during tournament play.

South's Terren Sugita was named Top Pitcher after flirting with a no-hitter for 8.2 innings before coming up just short at making history. Nonetheless, the right-hander was remarkable. He had a 1.74 ERA over 10.1 innings at state.

West center fielder Shawn Jones won the tournament's Gold Glove Award for his speedy coverage and rocket right arm.

Liam Kiffer drove in the winning run in the first game and then struck out 11 batters in the second game to help Post 3 knock off previously undefeated Eagle River.

Liam Kiffer was a two-way terror for the Ketchikan Post 3 Kings, driving in the winning run in the first game and pitching a complete game in the second meeting with previously undefeated Eagle River in the Matson Invitational at Bartlett High School.

Post 4 leadoff hitter Damian Mohl collected a game-high three hits and two RBIs and Cody Leslie came out of the bullpen to earn the win as the Wolverines survived elimination to beat Post 28 in the st…

65th ALB State Tournament

Day 3

South 6, Service 3

Post 4 leadoff hitter Damian Mohl collected a game-high three hits and two RBIs and Cody Leslie came out of the bullpen to earn the win as the Wolverines survived elimination to beat Post 28 in the state tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

Anthony Maldonado reached base five times, including a double. He also earned four of his team’s 16 walks in the game.

Four Service pitchers worked around trouble the entire evening, and for the most part kept the game from getting out of hand as South stranded 20 runners on base.

Juneau's Phillip Wall pitched a complete game and the speedy Post 25 Midnight Suns showcased their savvy base-running to avoid elimination at the state tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

65th ALB State Tournament

Day 3

Juneau 4, Dimond 2 - elimination game

Phillip Wall went the distance and pitched the top-seeded Post 25 Midnight Suns to a season-saving victory over the Post 21 Lynx in an elimination game at Mulcahy Stadium.

The right-hander carried a shutout into the eighth inning and walked only one in a complete game effort. He allowed eight hits and two runs, getting a ground out with two runners on to end the game.

Dimond starter Kyler Maisey was just as sharp on the mound as the righty held hard-hitting Juneau to just one hit over five-plus frames.

He gave up all four runs, but two were unearned and he never gave up more than one run per inning.

Juneau’s speed was too much to overcome. The Midnight Suns [25-3] are probably the most lethal team on the bases and that element played to pivotal in each of their four runs.

Zeb Storie was a key component in helping Juneau manufacture runs in each of the first and third innings. Both times he led off with a walk.

The first time he stole second, moved to third on a ground out and scored on a ground out. The second time he went first to third on a base hit and scored on a wild pitch.

In the fourth, Finn Collins reached second base on an error, stole third and scored on a ground out.

Bobby Cox and Alex Muir combined to give Juneau a 4-0 lead in the seventh inning after Cox reached on an error, stole second and scored on Muir’s double.

Even trailing 4-0, and playing shorthanded, fifth-seeded Dimond didn’t quit.

In the eighth, the Lynx loaded the bases and scored runs on Sean Carey’s single – one of his three hits – and Jesse Boese’s fielder’s choice.

Dimond’s Kaden Roettger delivered base hits in both the eighth and ninth innings, including a two-out double in the last frame to put two runners in scoring position and give his team a chance to tie the game in its final at-bat.

In the end, the Lynx hit a Wall.

Dimond saw its season end at 23-18. Juneau advanced to Saturday’s 3 p.m. game against South, a 6-3 winner in the late game.

Service first baseman Nathan Cole’s defensive gem on the game's final out robbed Bryce Swofford of a base hit and was inches from delivering Juneau a sure-thing walkoff win.

65th ALB State Tournament

Day 3

Service 4, Juneau 3 - winner's bracket

Post 28 pitchers Raleigh Pigg and Andrew Jaidinger shut out the potent Post 25 offense over the final seven innings to lead the Cougars in the matchup between unbeatens on Day 3 at the state tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

Pigg started and earned the win after dancing around trouble all night with seven strong innings. Jaidinger got the final six outs to earn the save, highlighted by a web gem from first baseman Nathan Cole on the final out to end a bases-loaded threat.

It was the third time in two weeks that Service and Juneau played to a 4-3 decision, with the clubs exchanging walkoff wins two weeks ago in the capital city.

The win guaranteed Service a spot in the state championship game Saturday.

More on that later.

Service [22-7] took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Pigg clubbed a solo home run. The lead didn’t last, however, as Juneau tied it in the bottom half of the inning and then took a 3-1 lead in the second on base knocks by Owen Mendoza and Alex Muir.

Service pulled within a run in the fourth on Sam Bourdon's sacrifice fly and then tied it in the fifth, thanks in part to Pigg's sac bunt that led to Cooper Bailey-Parsons' RBI ground out.

That's right, the same guy that homered in his first at-bat laid down a bunt in his third at-bat to move baserunners.

Pigg and Juneau starter Bobby Cox were locked in a 3-3 tie after six innings. It was anybody’s game.

In the seventh, Ronan Klancher singled and Pigg walked to put runners on first and second. Klancher stole third and came around to score on Cobey Cupp’s sac fly.

Cupp finished 2-for-3 with the game winning RBI. He also filled in nicely at shortstop with Pigg on the mound.

Jaidinger entered the game in the eighth and had a 1-2-3 inning. In the ninth, though, he would load the bases with one out before striking out No. 3 hitter Kasey Watts.

That set up a tough matchup with cleanup hitter Bryce Swofford, a 6-foot-7 slugger. Swofford scorched a Jaidinger pitch down the first-base line that Cole snagged for the final out, with the ball nearly taking the glove off his hand.

Cole’s defensive gem robbed Swofford of a base hit and was inches from delivering Juneau a sure-thing walkoff win.

It was just Juneau’s third loss in 27 games this summer.

Friday’s schedule features just two games and could see two more teams eliminated.

Juneau faces Dimond at 3 p.m. in an elimination game and Service plays South at 6:30 p.m. As the last unbeaten, Service could still lose a game and not be eliminated while another loss would end South’s season.

Dimond's Kyle Henrickson played a huge role as he picked up the win as a relief pitcher and drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly to help the Lynx [23-17] stay alive in the state tournament.

65th ALB State Tournament

Day 3

Dimond 5, West 4 - elimination game

In an epic battle that featured big plays, five lead changes and tons of drama the Post 21 Lynx outlasted the Post 1 Eagles in a 13-inning elimination game at Mulcahy Stadium.

Dimond's Kyle Henrickson played a huge role as he picked up the win as a relief pitcher and drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly to help the Lynx [23-17] stay alive in the state tournament.

In Dimond's final at-bat, Kobe Vanderwood led off with a walk and went to second after Sean Carey singled. With runners on first and second, Jesse Boese reached on a bunt single - his fifth hit of the game - to load the bases.

That brought up Henrickson, who lofted a flyball to center field to score the winning run ahead of Shawn Jones' throw home. Just one inning earlier Jones had thrown out a runner trying to score from third base on a fly ball.

The Henrickson brothers - Kyle and younger bro Ryan - pitched the final 5.2 innings for Dimond. Kyle Henrickson also had three RBIs, including the game winner.

The teams combined for 26 hits by 16 different players so everybody came to play.

West's Tom Zettler had two hits and pitched nine innings, scattering 11 hits and three walks in the no decision.

The Eagles led 1-0, 2-1 and 4-3 but couldn't shut the door. Nonetheless, West should be congratulated for making the state tournament for the first time since 2011.

Four years ago, this program went 0-18 in league. Today the Eagles stood toe-to-toe with one of the most explosive teams in the state.

Dimond is a perennial postseason contender that advanced to the final four for the fourth time since 2010.

Starters Terren Sugita of South and Garrett Nevells of Chugiak both pitched nine innings and matched goose eggs for eight innings as the game was scoreless entering the ninth inning.

65th ALB State Tournament

Day 3

South 2, Chugiak 1 – elimination game

In a game dominated by starting pitching, it was timely hitting in the later stages that actually played the biggest role in the Post 4 Wolverines’ come-from-behind win over the Post 33 Mustangs.

Gage Webster singled to lead off the 10th inning and later scored when Josh Costello laced an opposite-field single to knock in the winning run and knock Chugiak out of the state tournament in the elimination game at Mulcahy Stadium.

Starters Terren Sugita of South and Garrett Nevells of Chugiak both pitched nine innings and matched goose eggs for eight innings as the game was scoreless entering the ninth inning.

Sugita threw a no-hitter for 8.2 innings before Mason Peace lined a single up the middle that scored Sam Hall with the game’s first run.

Hall reached base after he walked, stole second base and raced home to easily beat the throw to the plate.

However, South tied it in the bottom of the ninth after Derek McGinnis led off with a triple and later scored on an error.

The game went into extra innings, thus denying both starters a decision although both Sugita and Nevells pitched beautifully to keep their team’s season alive in this loser-bracket game.

Both starters also got terrific defense from their catchers to help them along.

Chugiak’s Trystan Costanios made a diving grab on a foul ball and a South baserunner at third base with one out in the seventh. And South’s Costello threw out two baserunners in the ninth.

The No. 1 Juneau Post 25 Midnight Suns and No. 2 Service Post 28 Cougars both posted victories Wednesday to set up a crucial winner's bracket game Thursday night at 5:30.

The top two seeds in the 65th Alaska Legion Baseball State Tournament are the last two unbeatens after two days of action at Mulcahy Stadium.

The No. 1 Juneau Post 25 Midnight Suns and No. 2 Service Post 28 Cougars both posted victories Wednesday to set up a crucial winner's bracket game Thursday night at 5:30.

Juneau got there after surviving a wild game with South Post 4, earning an 8-7 win in the bottom of the ninth inning after Alex Muir earned a bases-loaded walk to score Finn Collins with the winning run.

It was the second walkoff winner for Muir in the last two weeks. Collins picked up the win with 1.2 innings of relief as Juneau [24-2] extended its winning streak to 9 games.

South's Cody Leslie tied the game at 7-7 after he flared a two-out, two-strike single in shallow right centerfield. The hit was especially rewarding for Leslie after he misplayed a base hit in right field that allowed the go-ahead run to score.

Parker Johnson and Terren Sugita reached base four times for Wolverines, who dropped into the loser's bracket.

Service beat West Post 1 by a 6-1 score thanks to precise pitching and MVP candidate Cooper Bailey-Parsons, who continued his terrific two-way play.

Bailey-Parsons went 3-for-3 with a walk, stolen base, two runs and an RBI at the plate. Defensively, the rocket-armed catcher threw out a couple more baserunners.

Top seeds flex muscles on Day 1 of state tournament with No. 1 Juneau, No. 2 Service and No. 4 South all winning to join No. 6 West in the winner's bracket. Action continues all week at Mulcahy Stadiu…

Juneau 14, Kenai 0

Bryce Swofford, Kasey Watts and Luke Mallinger combined for 10 RBIs and four Post 25 pitchers combined for a shutout as the Midnight Suns blanked the defending state champion Twins from Post 20.

Washington's Post 32 Bruins score all their runs in the first three innings en route to winning the final leg of Alaska Airlines Tournament Tour, capping their 11-2 record in the Last Frontier.

Kyren Morris continued his hit parade at the 23rd annual BP Invitational to help the Walla Walla [WA] Post 32 Bruins run away with the championship.

The left-handed slugger went 3-for-3 to lead an 11-hit attack and was one of four players to drive in two RBIs as Walla Walla won 9-4 over Dimond Post 21 at Mulcahy Stadium.

Mason Knowles, Scott Golden and Taylor Hamada also collected two RBIs as the Bruins banged out 11 base hits and accounted for all of their runs in the first three innings.

Even still the game packed plenty of punch, thanks to Dimond’s Dylan Montagna and Jake Andresen.

Both players crushed no-doubt-about-it home runs well over the 325-foot sign in left field, landing on the football field behind the park.

Montagna hit a majestic shot in the third inning to bring Dimond within 2-1.

Andresen launched a three-run laser in the fourth inning to make it 9-4.

Walla Walla [30-6] finished 11-2 in the Alaska Airlines Tournament Tour, winning tournaments in Wasilla and Anchorage and losing the championship game in Kenai.

Morris was a big reason. The marvelous middle infielder finished 11-for-13 at the plate for an .846 batting average. He drove in eight runs, score five times and doubled three times.

He was voted Most Valuable Player of this year’s BP Invitational.

Teammate Nick Zehner was also in consideration for the award after batting over .600 and pitching his team into the championship game with a 3-hitter in a 3-2 win over Napoleon [OH] Post 300 in the semifinals earlier in the day.

Montagna earned the Big Stick Award after leading the tournament with an amazing on-base percentage that is something out of a video game: 15-for-19.

He went 8-for-12 at the plate and walked eight times, twice intentionally. He also had five RBIs and half of his hits went for extra bases.

Andresen was the next choice after going 8-for-12 with a bomb and team-best eight RBIs.

Dimond’s Kyle Henrickson earned the tournament’s Gold Glove Award and showed off some glove love in the first inning when he reached over the dugout fence to catch a pop up, a beautiful grab worthy of a web gem.

Dimond [15-15] beat East Post 34 by a 7-2 score in the other semifinal earlier in the day in a battle between two Anchorage teams that played spirited, confident baseball that will serve them well over the final two weeks of the regular season.

In that game, Dimond’s McKenzie Montgomery scattered five hits over a complete-game performance.

Known for his clutch performances as an amateur, Anchorage's Jonny Homza began his pro career with the same success as he finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs in his first game with the Arizona League Pad…

The temperature in Phoenix, Arizona, was 111 degrees at game time, but Jonny Homza of Anchorage wasn’t sweating it.

Not even the pressure of his professional debut could get the 18-year-old baseball star hot under the collar.

Known for his ice-cold, clutch performances as an amateur, Homza began his pro career with the same success as he finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs in his first game with the Arizona League Padres in rookie ball.

Batting No. 2 in the lineup and slotted in at designated hitter, the 6-foot, 185-pounder delivered a two-run single for his first hit in just his second at-bat.

Homza later added a run-scoring single in the 10-9 loss to the Arizona White Sox.

He also struck out three times, including his first at-bat against teen phenom pitcher Edinxon Arias, who is already in his third year as a pro at just 19.

Homza, a two-time Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year, has seen his life drastically change in the last month – in which he went from graduating high school to being drafted in the fifth round of the San Diego Padres to reportedly signing for $250,000.

A star shortstop and pitcher as a high school player, Homza was drafted by Padres to play catcher, a position he did play sparingly in the past.

It’s probably going to take him some time to adjust to his new position, but his bat is always there, which is why Homza found himself at the top of the lineup on opening night.

The Padres took Homza with the 138th pick – the second-highest selection by a player from Alaska. He’s only the third non-pitcher from here to be selected in the top 20.

The first time Alaska Baseball Academy manager Tony Wylie took South High star Jonny Homza of Anchorage to spring training in Arizona nobody believed Homza was from Alaska.

As a 16-year-old, Homza handled himself well against minor-league professional pitchers and showed off an A-plus arm from third base.

The scouts were incredulous.

“They kept saying, ‘There is no blanking way this kid is from Alaska,’” Wylie told me. “At that point, he was known.”

Today, he was drafted.

Homza, a versatile infielder, catcher and pitcher, was selected by the San Diego Padres in the fifth round of today’s Day 2 of the MLB draft.

On his 18th birthday, no less.

The Padres took Homza with the 138th pick – the second-highest selection by a player from Alaska. He’s only the third non-pitcher from here to be selected in the top 20.

“Jonny Homza is the best all-around player and most competitive player I have ever coached,” South coach Taylor Nerland told me. “He loves the game and wants to get better at it.”

Homza is a two-time Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year and led South to back-to-back appearances in the state championship game, pitching a complete-game win to help the Wolverines win as a junior.

This year the senior slugger batted .549 with 31 runs and 19 RBIs in 17 games. He had 12 extra-base hits, including his only home run in the state semifinals. As a pitcher he was 3-0 with a 0.91 ERA in 23 innings.

But he didn’t get drafted because of what he did in Alaska. And he won’t pitch at the next level. He’s expected to begin his professional career at third base but could move to catcher at some point.

Either way, they are getting the total package in the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder.

“His swing is pretty, his footwork is outstanding,” Wylie said. “You don’t normally get that polish with Alaska players.”

Homza started the summer with the Anchorage Bucs and wanted to play tonight after getting drafted, but general manager Shawn Maltby didn’t want to take any chances.

In the short amount of time Maltby saw Homza practice and play he liked what he saw.

“We wouldn’t have taken a risk on a high school senior if I didn’t think he could compete,” the longtime Alaska Baseball League GM said. “He’s athletic, plays multiple positions, hits everything. He’s got a great baseball IQ.”

Homza delivered a pinch-hit double for the Bucs the other night. He also brings a professional approach to the plate, making the pitcher work for every inch.

“Jonny goes up there the other day and fouls off five or six balls off in a row,” Matlby said. “Some guys get frustrated, but that’s a great at-bat. He understands that. Normally a kid won’t get it or is too selfish to get it.”

Nerland said Homza was always different – from the way he played baseball to his workout habits to his disciplined diet. Whatever he does, he’s it in to win it.

“Even when he hits the ball really hard at somebody and gets out, he thinks he could have hit it a little harder and wants that next at-bat to prove he can do it,” Nerland said. “Whatever the competition, he’s going to easily win it because he wants it that bad.”

Oliver Moore-Baker scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the 9th inning to help Sitka edge South 2-1 in title game of ASAA state baseball tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

Oliver Moore-Baker scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth inning to help Sitka edge South 2-1 in extra innings in the championship game of the ASAA state baseball tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

Sitka's No. 3 hitter Ky Stockel lofted a flyball to medium center field where South’s Parker Johnson caught it and fired a strike to home plate, but the ball bounced away from the catcher as Moore-Baker slid in with the go-ahead run.

Sitka starter Camden Suarez worked around seven hits over a 94-pitch complete-game effort and retired the Wolverines 1-2-3 in the final inning.

The loss was the first of the season for South [18-1] and snapped the team’s 21-game winning streak dating back to last season when the Wolverines won the state title.

Suarez and South starter and Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year Jonny Homza were locked in a pitcher's duel for the first eight innings, which breezed by in an hour and 45 minutes under a brilliant blue sky.

Homza scattered seven hits and four walks while allowing one run and striking out five.

It might be the last time he pitches - only because he's a college-ready infielder who will likely be picked in this month's MLB draft.

He got delightful defense from Johnson, who played beautifully at shortstop with a couple plays where he showed remarkable range and also saved a run with one diving stop to keep the ball in the infield.

Even at the end, Johnson’s throw was right on the money, but it looked like catcher Sladen Mohl glanced away at the last second with Moore-Baker charging hard. It was a tough-luck play for a one of the better defensive teams in the state.

But credit Sitka.

The Wolves played smart, steady and seamless to give third-year coach Matt Way his first state championship and the program’s fifth overall. Way’s old coach, Ed Conway led Sitka to state titles in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2014. Way played on the '05 team.

Stockel accounted for both runs for Sitka. He scored a run in the fourth inning to tie the game at 1-1 when he scored on the front end of a delayed double steal.

South took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Homza’s line-drive single to left center, scoring Johnson.

Alaska State Baseball Titles

ASAA tournament began in 2000

Sitka 5 - 2005, 06, 07, 14, 17

Juneau 5 - 2002, 03, 08, 10, 12

South 3 - 2011, 13, 16

East 1 - 2000

Service 1 - 2001

Kodiak 1 - 2004

Dimond 1 - 2009

Chugiak 1 - 2015

Wasilla 5, Lathrop 0

Austin Robertson tossed a two-hit gem as the Warriors claimed the third-place game.

Robertson allowed two walks and struck out 10 batters. He didn't allow a run in 8.2 innings during the state tournament.

Ben Werner had two hits and two RBIs and James Arend, Hank Boyer and Caden Dudley each drove in one run.

Wasilla scored four runs in the third inning.

Lathrop's Colin King and Chase Reed each went 1-for-3.

Juneau-Douglas 7, Service 6

Luke Malinger scored the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Crimson Bears won the fourth-place game.

The back-and-forth game featured four lead changes until things were tied at 6-6.

Bryce Swofford went 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs. Kona Ogoy had two RBIS and pitcher Luis Mojica earned the win with two shutout innings of relief.

Cobey Cupp went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and Ronan Klancher and Raleigh Pigg each scored twice.

Jonny Homza and Parker Johnson were the top two players in the Cook Inlet Conference this season and the two senior studs came up big to pad an early lead that carried the Wolverines in the state semifnals at Mulcahy Stadium.

South [18-0] punched its ticket to the state final -- the program's fifth consecutive year.

The win extended the team's winning streak to 21 games.

Homza - a two-time Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year - hit a home run and triple and finished with three RBIs.

Johnson - who is headed to Indiana Wesleyan University in the fall - went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs.

Lathrop's Colin King flexed his muscles with a double, triple and four RBIs.

South and Sitka played in the 2014 state championship game, a 11-10 victory by the Wolves in a game played in Sitka.

Service, Juneau survive

The Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears and Service Cougars each won in the consolation round to survive to play one more day.

Juneau beat Colony 20-16 in a slugfest that featured 36 runs, 27 hits, 25 walks and 19 runners left on base.

Luke Malinger had a day, going 2-for-4 with five RBIs. Bryce Swofford drove in three runs and the top four Juneau batters combined to score 12 runs.

Bynum also almost single-handedly carried Northern Illinois into the postseason. Over the last 16 games, the team’s winning percentage is .375 [6-10]. That might not seem like much until you consider the Huskies were 10-26 before Bynum’s hitting spree.

He collected base hits in 14 of those 16 games and raised his season average 51 points.

The Alaska Legion Baseball season is right around the corner. Here is contact information for all 17 teams from all over the great state of Alaska to make sure your player gets on the field and into t…

The Alaska Legion Baseball season is right around the corner. Here is contact information for all 17 teams from all over the great state of Alaska to make sure your player gets on the field and into the game. There is a place for everyone.

From Trajan Landgon to Chad Nading to Max Karnos, the Cook Inlet Conference has produced some of the best high school baseball players from Alaska.

What started as an experiment in 1992 is now a sweet science.

This week, the CIC honored its biggest names over the last 25 years by creating three all-decade teams for the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.

East’s Langdon was named Player of the Decade of the 1990s, East’s Nading for the 2000s and South’s Karnos for the 2010s.

Coaches of the Decade winners were Service’s Tim Rumfelt for the 1990s, East’s Tony Wylie and Chugiak’s Bill Lierman for the 2000s and Chugiak’s Doug Henie for the 2010s.

Here’s a breakdown of each decade:

1990s CIC All-Decade Team

SP Trajan Langdon, East

SP Joey Clark, Chugiak

SP Brady Lonergan, Service

SP Tom Sterrett, Chugiak

RP Chris Edge, Dimond

C Ra Shipps, East

1B Tyler Hasbrouck, Service

2B Mischa Sorbo, West

3B Levi Robinson, Service

SS Jon Dyson, East

OF Kelly Hood, Service

OF Orlando Caro, East

OF Aaron Sperbeck, Dimond

DH Kyle Madden, East

UTL Joey Inama, Chugiak

Player of the Decade: Trajan Langdon, East

Coach of the Decade: Tim Rumfelt, Service

1990s Player of the Decade: Trajan Langdon, East

When he wasn’t making history on the basketball court, East’s Trajan Langdon was making plays on the baseball field in the Cook Inlet Conference.

He was the most polished ballplayer of his era – a precise pitcher, marvelous middle infielder and hard-hitting slugger.

The long and lanky 6-foot-3 dual-sport stud was voted CIC MVP in 1994 and was one of only two pitchers named to the all-conference team. In 1993, he was the only shortstop named all-CIC.

“I really enjoyed the challenge of pitching and trying to dominate games when I could,” he said.

Langdon played in an era before The Dome, before FieldTurf – back when Alaska’s winter lingered longer and the seasons were shorter.

“I do remember Opening Day one year being in mid-May and they had to shovel the snow off the field for us to play, and we still played in like 35- to 40-degree weather,” he said. “Crazy stories, yet stories that represent our great state.”

Langdon was drafted professionally in two sports – in 1994 by the MLB’s San Diego Padres in the sixth round and in 1999 by the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.

He played three seasons in the minors as a third baseman at the Class A level in the summer of 1994, 1995 and 1997 before turning his attention on basketball. He went on to become an All-American at Duke University, a lottery pick in the NBA and All-Decade in the Euroleague.

Langdon made a career in basketball, but his days on the diamond molded his life forever.

“Baseball was a game that I really enjoyed playing,” he said. “I had great teammates and some great coaches and enjoyed every minute of it, and really, baseball helped to develop my competitive spirit.”

1990s Coach of the Decade: Tim Rumfelt, Service

Tim Rumfelt kept his approach simple when he managed the Service Cougars.

Just win, baby.

“We worked them quite hard,” Rumfelt said. “I expected them to play hard, and they did.”

Service was the premier program in the Cook Inlet Conference in the 1990s under Rumfelt, who posted a 45-18 record over six seasons in the decade.

He led the Cougars to back-to-back pennants in 1996 and 1997 and his 1999 team was the first CIC team to win 10 games in a season – back before there was a state tournament.

“In those days, you could go up to Service and ask people, what’s the sport? It was baseball,” Rumfelt said. “Service baseball was it.”

He managed in the original six era when the CIC featured only Bartlett, Chugiak, Dimond, East, Service and West.

He coached some of the biggest names in the 1990s, guys like Brady Lonergan, Tyler Hasbrouck, Levi Robinson and Kelly Hood. But there were other players that gave just as much sweat and sacrifice to help Service dominate the diamond.

“I had tremendous ballplayers in those days,” he said. “That’s not just because of me. There were other people involved too.”

Rumfelt, 70, went on to coach other CIC teams over the years. But his legacy will always be linked to Service.

“He shaped us not just into great teammates and ballplayers, but he also shaped me into the person I am today by showing us consistent effort and not giving up on us,” said 2001 all-league outfielder Charlton Ferreira. “It taught me never to give up, no matter what. He pushed us during conditioning and helped us make us mentally strong and physically strong for the season.”

2000s CIC All-Decade Team

SP Corey Madden, East

SP Brian Montalbo, Dimond

SP Conor Spink, Chugiak

SP Anton Maxwell, East

SP Ben Rosen, Chugiak

C Keegan Kucko, Chugiak

1B Chad Nading, East

2B Cal McKim South

3B Chuck Rider, Service

SS Nick Ridley, Bartlett

OF Antoine McLeod, East

OF Zach Morse, Chugiak

OF Tim McCollum, Chugiak

DH Jake Plancich, East

UTL Ty Griffith, Chugiak

Player of the Decade: Chad Nading, East

Coaches of the Decade: Tony Wylie, East; Bill Lierman, Chugiak

2000s Player of the Decade: Chad Nading, East

In the conversation about the greatest Cook Inlet Conference baseball player of all-time, the discussion has to start, and stop, with East’s Chad Nading.

Armed with a rocket right arm and booming bat, the 6-foot-5 pitcher and first baseman stood tall from 2004 to 2006 as the CIC’s most decorated all-star and only two-time MVP in the league’s 25-year history.

Nading batted .641 over his final two seasons and he pitched winning decisions in more than half of East’s 19 victories. In all, he earned five all-league honors, two batting titles and two MVP titles.

“I think I was so successful in Alaska because Coach Wylie put together a first-class program,” he said. “We would travel to Arizona and Hawaii, where we played very high competition early in the spring that got us early reps before starting CIC. We got all the early mistakes out of the way so once the season started we were ready to go.”

Nading was twice drafted by MLB teams – first in 2006 in the 36th round by Detroit out of high school and then again in 2009 in the 37th round by Texas out of UNLV.

From 2010 to 2016 he bounced around pro leagues and even pitched in Japan. In 2017, he made his MLB spring training debut with San Diego and a month later he picked up his first career save with Double-A San Antonio.

“I have been a part of a lot of great baseball teams and championships, but I can never close the yearbook when it comes to those four years of East High baseball,” Nading said. “Those years taught me to love competition and gave me opportunities to be a leader and relied on in huge situations.”

2000s Coaches of the Decade: Tony Wylie, East; Bill Lierman, Chugiak

When you think of East baseball in the 2000s, you think of Tony Wylie.

He was the architect behind a T-birds team that dominated the Cook Inlet Conference between 2000 and 2006, when they posted 65 victories, won three pennants and captured the inaugural ASAA state tournament championship in 2000.

“I firmly believe that teams take on the personality of their head coach,” Wylie said. “So if a coach is organized and knowledgeable about game preparation and he possesses some degree of gamesmanship with class, then it’s highly likely his players will exude the same classy persona and wins will take care of themselves.”

Coaching baseball wasn’t a job for Wylie. It was his career. He went on to create the Alaska Baseball Academy and currently serves as a MLB scout.

At East, his 2000 squad was the first CIC team to win 12 games in a season. He coached the most decorated player in CIC history in Chad Nading as well as other all-decade selections in Corey Madden, Anton Maxwell, Antoine McLeod and Jake Plancich.

“I was very blessed to have a ton of exceptional athletes coming through East in the late 1990s and 2000s. All I needed to do was place them in situations to be successful and they did all the work.” Wylie said. “I was also smart enough to surround myself with quality assistant coaches who believed in my style of teaching and motivation.”

Bill Lierman was a hard-nosed competitor when he played for Chugiak and he was no different when he became the school’s coach.

Blunt, brainy and bullish, Lierman guided the Mustangs to a decade-best 76 wins from 2000 to 2009 on his way to becoming the Cook Inlet Conference’s all-time leader in coaching victories [95]. Chugiak reached the state championship game in 2004, 2006 and 2009.

“High school baseball changed throughout the 2000s and I think we adapted to certain things,” he said. “We had great players, assistant coaches and parent support.”

Lierman said the key to his success was trust between him and his players and him and their parents.

“When the parents trust you to coach their kids, that’s when you can really mold teams because you don’t have outside influence,” he said.

In 2004, the Mustangs made a worst-to-first type jump by going from 2-8 to 9-1 in the CIC. In 2006, Chugiak became the first CIC team to win 13 games in one season.

Lierman never judged himself by victories, but rather by the life lessons he could teach to prepare his players for winning in life.

“Most people want instant gratification and that instant gratification is built on wins. They think wins and losses are a direct reflection of you as a coach,” he said. “But really, it’s about four or five years down the road, when a player calls you and thanks for you something you said that had nothing to do with wins and losses.”

2010s CIC All-Decade Team

SP Max Karnos, South

SP Zach Ferntheil, Service

SP Dalton Chapman, West

SP Jonny Homza, South

RP Lucas Thorp, Dimond

C Chase Wilson, Chugiak

1B Michael Rosenberg, Eagle River

2B Cory Clevenger, Dimond

3B Tyler Thompson, Dimond

SS Willy Homza, South

OF Matt Illalio, Service

OF Sagan Osborne, Dimond

OF Parker Johnson, South

DH Garrett Brown, Service

UTL Adam Manzer, West

Player of the Decade: Max Karnos, South

Coach of the Decade: Doug Henie, Chugiak

2010s Player of the Decade: Max Karnos, South

South’s Max Karnos was one of the best pitchers in Cook Inlet Conference history with three all-league recognitions from 2011 to 2013 and a MVP award as a senior.

The 6-foot-4 right-hander dominated the 2013 season with a 0.33 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 20 innings. He went 1-1 with his lone loss coming in a game where he had 17 strikeouts.

“Max was tough to hit because he could spot up. He could paint the corners. His changeup and 2-seam were the toughest to hit,” said Service’s Jake Ridley, the 2012 CIC Gold Glove winner. “I had a lot of respect for him.”

Karnos batted .429 with 11 RBIs in 10 games. In South's biggest game of the year, with a state playoff berth at stake, he sparked a 7-5 win over Chugiak by going 2 for 3 with three RBIs.

The Wolverines went on to win state, the team's second title in three years.

“What I remember most were all the late nights at the school and Dome, grinding and getting ready for the season,” Karnos said. “Those were absolutely some of the best years of my life. I have tons of close friends because of those four years and memories I will never forget.”

Karnos went on to pitch at Western Nevada and then Sacramento State, where in 2016 he threw a 3-hit shutout against Utah Valley to become just the second Alaskan to throw a 9-inning complete game at the NCAA D1 level.

“Playing at South prepared me for the rest of my career because I never took anything for granted,” he said. “It also helped that I had big dreams and what I wanted most in the world was to accomplish them.”

2010s Coach of the Decade: Doug Henie, Chugiak

He was around for only three seasons, but Chugiak’s Doug Henie enjoyed one of the most successful and shortest tenures in the Cook Inlet Conference.

Yet his achievements were undeniable.

The Mustangs became the first CIC team in 2015 to win 15 games in a season and they did it again in 2016.

“It really was the players. We just stressed to them, ‘do your job, focus on you, not worry about what other people are doing.’” Henie said. “We kind of took that to heart.”

Henie led Chugiak to the school’s first ASAA state championship in 2015 and a second-place showing in 2016.

He won 36 games – the most so far in the 2010s and two more than Dimond’s Brad Lauwers, who won 34 in four seasons and received strong consideration for coach of the decade.

You could argue Henie did more with less. Chugiak had only one player selected all-decade in Chase Wilson; whereas, for example, Dimond had four guys picked to the team.

“You could say we didn’t have all the big names, but we had a lot of depth and played with a chip on our shoulder,” Henie said.

He preferred to stay in the dugout, behind the scenes. It had been like that since 2004 when he joined the coaching staff. But that all changed after he was promoted to head coach in 2013. It didn’t change him.

“I’m not a real intense guy,” Henie said. “I just tried to keep the guys tuned into the game, especially the bench kids, because if they aren’t into the game it can disrupt the concentration of the players on the field.”

As a transfer to the University of Minnesota-Crookston, Palmer’s Jacob Butcher felt pressure to perform every time he took the mound.

It didn’t help when he started slowly. That made him only press more.

Finally, he stopped trying so hard and went back to being himself.

“At some point,” he told me, “you just have to trust your stuff.”

Amen, bro.

Butcher, of Wasilla Post 35 fame, tossed a 3-hit shutout with 102 pitches over seven innings in a 6-0 win against the University of Mary in Crookston, Minnesota.

“It felt really good to get a game like that in. Especially in the NSIC, which is definitely for hitters more than it is for pitchers I would say,” he told me. “I've been working on a lot of things this last fall and winter and fell into an early slump to start off but finding consistent outings now that I've gotten more comfortable in my role on the team.”

The junior right-hander walked only one batter and struck out five en route to lowering his earned-run average to 5.40, two runs lower than it was before the game.

A few days later, Butcher was named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Pitcher of the Week for his masterpiece pitching performance.

Butcher has pitched a total of 26.2 innings for Minnesota-Crookston in eight appearances, including five starts. He doesn’t care if he starts or comes in relief.

“I have been both in my career and both are just as exciting when you get your chance to be on the bump,” he said. “The main focus for every pitcher, whether starting or relieving, is to get in there and fill up the [strike] zone and give your team a chance to win.”

Off the field, he enjoys life in Minnesota but admitted that he’s a little home sick.

“I like it here but I miss it a lot back home on the west coast and especially Alaska,” he said. “I hope to move back there because I don't see here as a permanent option for me. But the school and the degrees offered here are great.”

Butcher is currently seeking a degree in Golf and Turfgrass Management.

“Just a fancy name for landscaping,” he said. “And I couldn't be happier to be doing this degree. It ranges in a wide variety of sports fields to golf courses to parks and home lawns.”

When Anchorage’s Dalton Chapman arrived at Everett Community College in Washington two years ago he threw a baseball.

Now he pitches.

“I’ve learned a ton,” he told me. “You can throw a ball 100 mph but have no pitching ability and be known as a guy who just throws hard or be a pitcher known as the guy who gets the job done and knows how to get outs.”

Back from a redshirt season, the right-hander has started his sophomore season beautifully with a 1.87 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 24 innings.

Chapman, of West Post 1 fame, sat out last season to get his academics in order.

“The reason why I couldn’t play last year was because I took 30 credits that didn’t transfer, so I had two options: redshirt or play and only be able to go to NAIA schools, which isn’t bad but I have dreams to play D1.”

Turns out taking a year off was the best thing that ever happened.

“It gave me a year to get better and mature and now I am in contact with about 15 schools and pro scouts as well,” Chapman said.

He throws a 4-seam fastball, a 2-seamer, changeup and slider.

“My slider is my out pitcher for sure,” Chapman said.

He’s also throwing his fastball in the 92-mph range, quite the jump from when he threw in the mid-80s in Alaska.

The 6-foot-5 pitcher has allowed 10 hits and 14 walks in his five starts.

Dancing around so many base runners is a sign of growth with improved mental makeup because he no longer gets rattled under pressure.

“Every time I face a batter I just tell myself over and over ‘one pitch at a time,’” he said. “As a freshman, I struggled because I would only care about the end result. You have to get two strikes on a guy before punching him out with strike three.”

After years of bouncing around small towns in the minor leagues, Chad Nading of Anchorage finally got a taste of the big time.

The 28-year-old relief pitcher today made his first appearance with the San Diego Padres in the eighth inning of a 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Glendale, Arizona.

Nading - a former Alaska Legion state tournament MVP with East Post 34 - entered the MLB exhibition game with the bases loaded and promptly hit Omar Estevez with the second pitch after getting ahead 0-1 to allow a run to score.

The 6-foot-6 rocket right-hander then struck out O’Koyea Dickson to end the threat.

Nading is the second Alaska pitcher to appear in a spring training game this month after Juneau’s Dylan Baker of the Cleveland Indians threw an inning on March 9.

In 2013, Nading participated in extended spring training with the Boston Red Sox.

Before and after that he bounced around independent leagues all over the country and even spent time in Japan with the Ishikawa Million Stars.

By 2015, however, he was out of the game altogether.

Last year, he returned to the game with the Wichita Wingnuts of the American Association. He had incredible success out of the bullpen with a 1.70 ERA in 43 games to help Wichita reach the championship series.

Nading was twice drafted by MLB teams, first in 2006 in the 36th round by the Detroit Tigers out of high school and then again in 2009 in the 37th round by the Texas Rangers out of UNLV.

Anchorage’s Sagan Osborne smoked the ball twice to the outfield wall in his first two plate appearances, but the Dickinson State baseball player had no hits to show for it.

But he didn’t hang his head.

Instead, he waited for the pitcher to hang a pitch.

That’s exactly what happened when Osborne went yard in his next at-bat for his career-high fifth home run of the season for the NAIA Blue Hawks of Dickinson, North Dakota.

“My home run was a bit of a relief in that game,” he told me. “I was 0-2 and felt like I had been chasing pitches I shouldn't, but my coach told me to go in aggressive and look for something up. The pitcher hung a curveball and I got ahold of it.”

Osborne, of Dimond Post 21 fame, is enjoying another big year at the plate this year on the heels of a strong junior season.

The third baseman has posted career highs in home runs, batting average [.411], on-base percentage [.463], slugging percentage [.726] and stolen bases [7] in 19 games.

With just two walks in 75 plate appearances, he goes to the plate to hit.

“Early in the year I feel like I don't walk much because not much scouting happens and I get a lot of first-pitch fastballs,” he said. “Most of the time I'm going to put that ball in play. Once conference season comes around and pitchers are more familiar with me it'll lead to longer at bats and more walks.”

Osborne has been incredibly effective, driving in 21 runs on 30 hits and scoring 24 runs in 19 games. The decline in his game is doubles total, dropping from 21 to four, in part because he’s hitting more balls out of the park.

“I'd like to get at least 10 [home runs] on the year and feel like I am capable of doing that,” he said. “I worked a lot on my power this summer and it is showing. I think that has contributed to my lower doubles number because those balls are leaving the yard this year. Also pretty much everyone we play plays me extra deep so balls hit in the gap haven't been able to fall as often this year.”

His team isn’t winning, but Anchorage’s Willy Homza has been winning the one-on-one battle in the box.

The sophomore third baseman has more base hits than strikeouts and owns a .360 on-base percentage for a Brown University team that has started the NCAA D1 season 0-6 after getting swept by Nichols State and Texas A&M in back-to-back weekend series.

In today’s finale against Texas A&M, Homza collected his first career 3-hit game and set the table for his team’s lone run in a 5-1 loss in College Station, Texas.

The No. 2 hitter doubled and later scored to put Brown up 1-0 in the third inning. It was his second straight hit off Aggies starter Mitchell Kilkenny, a former Texas Class 5A Pitcher of the Year from Houston.

“He threw me two changeups and I sat on the second one,” Homza told me. “My first at-bat I got a fastball and got a barrel to it.

“I felt like I was recognizing pitches well right out of the hand.”

He lined out his third at-bat to end the fifth.

In the eighth inning, he singled off a different pitcher to raise his batting average to a career-high .273.

Homza, of South Post 4 fame, has banged out base hits in four of the first six games and is second on the team with nine total bases. He’s the only Brown player to hit a double and a triple this year.

“Extra-base hits are a combination of being stronger and a more aggressive approach,” he said.

Coaches tend to put their best contact hitter in the No. 2 spot, so it’s a role Homza earned behind the scenes. It’s now carrying over to the field.

“I think it’s easier to settle in when I’m consistently playing every game and getting quality ABs,” he said. “I feel like we have a good offensive plan this season.”

Under Lacey’s management, Everett CC has won 154 games since 2012 and the team captured the NWAC title in 2013 and placed second in 2016.

"We will challenge our campers to become better players." Lacey said. "The delivery of our information is what sets us apart from other camps. We want the athlete to understand information as well as execute the information physically."

As a bonus, a special parent & coaches session will be held Saturday, Jan. 14, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and also Sunday, Jan. 15, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Learn what college coaches are looking for and how to get your player to the next level.

Pitching and defense, hitting and base running, the Alaska Baseball Academy all-stars controlled all aspects of the game at the Arizona Fall Classic.

“I am sure [this performance] will lead to more Alaskan ball players finding college opportunities,” he said.

On Day 1, the ABA all-stars opened with a 13-3 win over a D’backs scout team from Canada in the first of two games. The Alaskans banged out 15 hits and got a wonder start from Bryce Swofford of Juneau.

With a 90 mph fastball in his arsenal, the lanky righty struck out seven over four innings. Alaska’s hit parade was keyed by Anchorage’s Jonny Homza and Raleigh Pigg, and Paul Steffensen of Kenai.

In the second game, Alaska edged a Padres scout team 1-0 behind a strong pitching performance by Pigg, who struck out eight, and Steffensen, who singled home the lone run.

On Day 2, the ABA all-stars kept it going with a 3-2 win over a team from southern California. Anchorage pitchers Jake Andresen and Parker Johnson combined for 10 Ks over eight innings of work.

On Day 3, the Alaskans ended the tournament with an 8-1 victory over MVP Baseball, a national select team with players from 20 states.

Homza – last year's Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year who has committed to the University of Hawaii – remained hot at the plate with a triple and double while also contributing on the mound with a pair of scoreless innings.

Houston Astros coaches Brent Strom and Jeff Albert will be in Alaska next month for the 7th annual Professional Coaches Clinic.

This is your chance to receive 1-on-1 instruction from a pair of Major League Baseball coaches.

Strom is the pitching coach for the Houston Astros and Jeff Albert is one of the organization's hitting instructors.

Strom has been a winner at every level, winning a College World Series title as a player with Southern Cal in 1970 and a World Series title as a coach with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011.

He also pitched five years in the bigs, throwing a complete game at old Yankee Stadium. This guy tossed 16 CGs in 75 career starts.

Strom is in his fourth season as pitching coach for the Astros.

Last year, he led the Astros pitching staff to a 3.57 ERA, the best team ERA in the American League and the second-lowest produced by an Astros team since the club moved to Minute Maid Park in 2000.

This is his seventh season as the headliner at the Professional Baseball Clinic.

Albert is also an Anchorage camp veteran and just completed his his third season as Houston’s hitting coordinator after joining the organization in 2013 as roving hitting instructor.

He is a professional hitting coach with a background in Exercise Science. Blending the disciplines of exercise physiology, biomechanics, motor learning and sports psychology enables Albert to optimize and accelerate the development process for baseball and softball hitters.

Prior to joining the Astros, Albert spent five seasons as a coach in the Cardinals minor league system. A graduate of Butler University, he played professionally in the independent leagues and also received his Master’s degree in Exercise Science at Louisiana Tech University.

Anchorage’s Sagan Osborne swings fast and plays fast so it’s no surprise he started fast for the Dickinson State University baseball team last weekend.

The senior shortstop went 5-for-8 with a home run, triple and three RBIs in a two-game series against Mayville State to open the NAIA fall ball season in North Dakota.

“It doesn’t take me too long to get into a rhythm generally,” he told me. “I’m the type of hitter who doesn’t need to spend hours and hours in a cage to get ready. I like to take 15 to 20 swings and feel a rhythm, and then I’m good to go.”

Osborne, of Dimond Legion Post 21 fame, is coming off an all-conference junior season when he hit .353 and drove in 42 runs in 52 games in his first year at Dickinson State.

He has stayed locked in from one year to the next because he doesn’t make any at-bat any bigger from one to the next. Not putting pressure on himself – among other things – allows him to stay relaxed.

“I even sing to myself sometimes at the plate to stay loose,” he said. “It’s just little things that you pick up over the years that allow you to be able to roll into a season on the right foot instead of starting slowly and not helping your team.”

A gap hitter with good speed, Osborne bagged 24 extra-base hits last season with 21 doubles, two triples and a home run. He already has a triple and dinger this fall.

With only 11 base on balls in 200 career plate appearances, it’s obvious he goes to the plate looking to take a hack. But he’s not just swinging to swing.

He reads the pitcher, the defense and even the weather.

“My triple was on a low inside curveball but there was a strong wind blowing across left field so I knew that trying to pull it in the air would only result in a fly out, so I tried to stay inside it more and drive it to the right side and I put a good swing on it and drove it to the right-center gap,” he said.

Anchorage’s Chad Nading inched closer to winning his first championship as a professional as the right-handed relief pitcher helped the Wichita Wingnuts advance to the American Association Championshi…

Wichita defeated Sioux City 3-1 in the best-of-5 semifinal series to advance to the championship series, which starts Wednesday against the Winnipeg Goldeyes.

Nading, of East Legion Post 34 fame, made three appearances during the semifinal series, throwing a total of three innings to extend his scoreless streak to 16 innings.

The 6-foot-6 setup man has a 1.70 ERA in 43 games this season. He is 0-1 with two saves and a bunch of holds as one of the top options coming out of the bullpen.

Nading played college ball at UNLV and was twice drafted by MLB clubs before embarking on a pro career in the minor leagues. He bounced around for three years and then went to Japan before coming back to the States.

He was out of the game a year ago.

Now he’s back, better than ever, and close to capturing his first championship since his high school days.

Nading hasn’t allowed a run since Aug. 5, a stretch of 17 games over five weeks.

The American Association Championship Series begins in Canada with Games 1 and 2 at Winnipeg before going to Wichita, Kansas, for the remainder of the best-of-5.

Chad Nading of Anchorage hasn’t been involved in a playoff race in years.

The 28-year-old relief pitcher now finds himself right in the middle of one in the American Association, an independent professional baseball league that plays 100 games in the regular season.

With 24 to play, the Wichita Wingnuts lead the Laredo Lemurs by 5.5 games.

“This is the best group of guys I've played with in professional baseball and manager Pete Rose Jr. is the ultimate player's coach and makes baseball free and easy every day,” he told me.

Nading, of East Post 34 fame, has pitched six times in the last eight days. No more evidence is needed to prove how valuable this guy is to Wichita’s bullpen.

The 6-foot-6 flamethrower has pitched in each of the last three days, including tonight’s one-out hold to end the eighth inning in a 9-7 win over the Winnipeg Goldeyes.

“My velocity has been 93-97 mph with slider, curveball and changeup,” he said.

Nading has appeared in a career-high 30 games on the year, carding a 2.45 ERA in 29.1 innings.

Few people would have stuck with a sport like Nading did with baseball, which hasn’t always treated the Alaska ace well.

Early on, though, the game came easy.

At East High, he was a two-time Cook Inlet Conference MVP in 2006 and 2005. With East Legion Post 34 he won a state title all four years he played and was named the State Tournament MVP and Top Pitcher award winner in 2006.

He was drafted in the 36th round by the Detroit Tigers in 2006, but opted to play college baseball. He signed with Oregon State but wound up pitching at Skagit Valley Community College. After one season he transferred to UNLV, where he pitched for two years and then was drafted in the 37th round by the Texas Rangers in 2009.

In 2010, he started his pro career in rookie ball with the San Diego Padres organization.

He bounced around independent leagues in 2011 and 2012.

In 2013, Nading participated in extended spring training with the Boston Red Sox.

In 2014, he went to Japan and played with the Ishikawa Million Stars.

He didn’t play last year.

“I have to tell you the last two years have been a real test for me as a baseball player and a person,” Nading said. “After leaving Japan I sat down and thought about what I really wanted to accomplish with the rest of my career.”

Meanwhile, he changed his pitching motion more than area codes. He was all over the place, searching for the right delivery. He found the right formula in Wichita.

“I have been through just about every arm slot and style since leaving high school in 2006, but lack of success has left me determined to find the real me and chase that success I've been desperate to feel,” Nading said.

Service Post 28 twice jumped out to an early lead before fading down the stretch in a 10-4 loss to the Hailey Post 24 Wood River Wranglers of Idaho.

It happened in an elimination game on Day 3 of the Northwest Class A Regional Tournament in Laurel, Montana.

Service finished 1-2 in the tournament – the fourth straight year a team from Alaska won a game at the NWCART.

“As a coaching staff we can't be prouder of the way the team rose to the challenges we put before them and the compliments we received from opposing coaches and fans regarding the class, character and competitiveness that these kids played with,” Service manager Willie Post told me.

“Winning and losing can be determined by a lot of things but respect is earned and these kids made sure to leave everything they had on the field to earn it. As a coaching staff we can ask for anything more than that.”

Service led 2-0 after the top of the first inning and 3-2 after the top of the third inning. However, each time the Wood River Wranglers answered in the bottom half and took the lead for good with a three-run third inning that made it 5-3.

Service had scoring chances in the fourth and fifth inning, but grounded into double plays in both frames.

The Wood River Wranglers took a 6-3 lead in the fourth and then the game was scoreless in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

In the eighth, Idaho put the game away with a four-run frame.

Service finished 24-13 on the season, winning five games in state and regional competition.

“It’s not what you do in June but how you finish in July and August,” Paul said. “I think our guys took that to heart and when crunch time came they buckled down and grinded through every pitch never giving in. They proved they had the drive and determination with each of those postseason games.”

Not even a ninth-inning nightmare could derail the Service Post 28 Cougars on Friday.

Service blew a five-run lead in the bottom of the ninth only to get things back on track and eventually score in the 11th inning to beat Grantsville, Utah, 11-10 on Day 1 of the Northwest Class A Regional Tournament in Laurel, Montana.

It was the sixth consecutive game decided by two runs or fewer for the Cougars, who are 5-1 during that stretch.

“I think as a team we have bonded a lot later in the year,” Service’s Nick Hall told me. “At the beginning of the season when we’d get down we’d get our heads down, but we definitely kept our heads up today and things continue to go well.”

Michael Yandell scored the winning run after he singled with two outs, stole second and raced home when Ronan Klancher’s grounder went through the legs of the Grantsville second baseman.

Service pitcher Cobey Cupp threw the final three innings to earn the win, improving the ALB state tournament runner-up Cougars to 24-11 on the season.

Grantsville first baseman Riley Jensen earned player-of-the-game honors after hitting two home runs and driving in six runs. He clubbed a grand slam to tie the game in the ninth inning.

Service starter Nick Hall pitched the first eight innings and entered the ninth with a 10-5 lead, but he was removed after issuing a leadoff walk.

Enter ace reliever Raleigh Pigg, who was lights out during last week’s state tournament but struggled on this day to find his rhythm. He walked two batters and hit another, helping Grantsville pull closer at 10-6.

Cupp replaced Pigg and immediately faced Jensen, who crushed a grand slam to tie the game 10-10. However, Cupp bounced back to get out of the inning and force extra innings.

“Giving up that home run, it did suck – a lot – but I just kept pitching. I didn’t think about it,” Cupp told me. “I either pitch and win or pitch and lose, but I gotta pitch either way. I tried to focus on that.”

Cupp faced Jensen again in the 11th inning, nursing a one-run lead. This time he struck him out on a four-pitch sequence of nothing but curveballs.

The Kenai Post 20 Twins scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to secure an 8-7 win over giant killer Service Post 28 on Saturday night at Mulcahy Stadium.

Calvin Hills' wheels provided the winning difference as his speed and heads-up base running set up the winning run.

After he singled with one out, Hills raced from first base to third base on a wild pitch and later scored on a grounder to shortstop in which Service all-star Raleigh Pigg looked Hills back to third before he fired a strike to first baseman Derek Scoggins for the out before Scoggins went home with a throw that was just late.

It was just one of many big plays on the night.

There were others moments like Kenai's Mason Prior making a head-first diving catch and then doubling up the runner on first base and closer Gavin Petterson working around a leadoff walk in the ninth inning before striking out the side to earn the save.

And then there was Scoggins, who drove in a runner from third on a comebacker in which he hustled down the line to beat the throw and tie the game at 7-7.

The No. 2 seeded Twins beat Service twice in the state tournament, including 17-1 on Day 2.

This was the fourth all-time Legion championship for Kenai, the first for head coach Robb Quelland. The team also won in 2012.

In winning the tournament, Kenai will represent the Alaska Legion Baseball at the Northwest Regional Tournament from Aug. 3-7 in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Kenai centerfielder Paul Steffenson was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. He batted .444 in five games and led the tournament with nine RBIs. Half of his eight hits went for extra bases, including an inside-the-park home run.

Service, the No. 6 seed, upset No. 3 South, No. 4 Chugiak, No. 5 Wasilla and No. 1 Juneau on the way to the title game.

Cougars manager Willie Paul guided his program to its first appearance in the state championship game since 2001.

For making the title title, Service earned the right to represent the ALB at the Northwest Class A Regional Tournament [NWCART] on Aug. 4-9 in Laurel, Montana.

In addition to Steffensen being named MVP, other awards included:

Service pitcher Raleigh Pigg won the Top Pitcher Award after going 1-0 and earning a save in his only two appearances. He pitched 10 innings, struck out seven and fashioned a 0.90 ERA.

Wasilla shortstop Matt Palmer had an RBI in all three games while batting .562 with seven total RBIs en route to winning the tournament's Big Stick Award.

Juneau shortstop Zeb Storie gobbled up groundballs like a vacuum, converting all 29 total defensive chances over the tournament, to win the Gold Glove Award.

Service 8, Juneau 6

Earlier in the day, the Cougars platd four runs over the eighth and ninth innings to knock out the Juneau Post 25 Midnight Suns in a knockout game.

It was Service's third consecutive win in an elimination game.

Cooper Bailey Parsons drove in three runs, Nick Hall had three hits and Carsen Sandau had two RBIs.

The Service player banged out three hits, pitched six innings and drove in two runs as the sixth-seeded Post 28 Cougars upset No. 3 South Post 4.

Clayton started the game and held South to one run over the first six innings. He was chased in the seventh after giving up his second run.

Cobey Cupp pitched the final three innings to collect the save.

Carsen Sandau went 3-for-4 and Michael Yandell finished with three RBIs for Service. The Cougars scored all eight runs from the fifth through the ninth.

South's Julito Fazzini had three of his team's eight hits. Only one run was earned of the four surrendered by starter Tony Maioriello.

Kenai 6, Dimond 3

The second-seeded Post 20 Twins erupted for four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to rally by an upset-minded Post 21 squad.

Kenai trailed 3-2 entering the second-to-last inning before Joe Becher and Gavin Petterson each walked, then stole a base. Becher came home on a balk and Petterson scored the go-ahead run.

The bottom of the order came up clutch as Mason Prior, Tyler Covey and Cody Qulland combined for four hits, two runs and an RBI.

Calvin Hills went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and picked up the win with 1.1 innings of middle relief. Becher pitched the ninth for the save.

Dimond's Kyle Henrickson went 2-for-4 with a run and RBI. Dylan Montagna drove in the other run for the Lynx.

Wasilla 9, Chugiak 6

In a back and forth game that saw four lead changes in the first seven innings, Wasilla Post 35 capitalized on some miscues in the eighth inning to pull away from Chugiak Post 33.

The Road Warriors plated six runs thanks to RBIs from William Boyer, Samuel Reed and Matthew Palmer.

Wasilla starter Austin Robertson pitched well in a no decision. He allowed just one earned run over six innings.

Boyer picked up the win with three innings of relief.

Chugiak avoided a major scare in the top of the sixth inning when pitching ace Cody Curfman took a line drive off the head - the ball actually carromed into the outfield and was caught in the outfield grass by shortstop Charlie Bucolo.

Curfman came out as pitcher but stayed in the game and actually scored the tying run in the bottom half of the sixth inning.

For a sport steeped in failure, Jonny Homza of Anchorage is enjoying a lot of success on the baseball field.

Two months after winning Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year honors and leading South High School to the ASAA state championship, the smooth shortstop has been named to the 2016 Area Code Games next month in Long Beach, California.

“I’m working really hard and playing the way I know how and that’s all anybody can really do,” he told me. “Baseball is a very humbling sport. I mean, if you fail 7 out of 10 times you’re considered good, so if you get too cocky you’re just setting yourself up for failure.”

Homza will represent the Pacific Northwest for the Kansas City Royals and Arizona Diamondbacks in the Area Code Games. The national event includes the top 200 players divided into eight regional teams.

“It does feel good to get recognized as a player and it’s very exciting to be able to experience all these cool things,” he said.

Players are typically nominated by a scout and then participate in a tryout. Homza was nominated by Tony Wylie of the Alaska Baseball Academy who also works as a scout for the D’backs.

“It was kind of his coming out party,” Wylie said of the tryout. “I kept hearing guys say ‘No way this kid is from Alaska.’”

Homza is the third Alaska player and first position player to be named to the Area Code Games, which date back to the 1980s. The other Alaskans to earn invitations were pitchers Max Karnos and Johnny Meszaros.

“I do think that baseball in Alaska is getting a lot more credibility and is able to produce a lot more talented baseball players, including more position players,” said Homza, who has committed to the University of Hawaii.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage an the ALB Media Director.

Calton Easterwood pitched beautifully and Columbia Post 19 banged out 11 hits in a 7-1 win over the Kenai Post 20 Twins in the championship game of the BP Invitational at Mulcahy Stadium.

Easterwood allowed just four hits while striking out a dozen over seven innings of work. The only run the right-hander surrendered was on a balk with two outs in the sixth inning.

The game ended on a double play.

Columbia won the BP Invitational for a record third time and improved to 14-0-1 in three trips to the tournament under manager Mickey McKeel.

The Tennessee team also beat Kenai - the first-place Legion AA team in Alaska - for the title of the Bill Miller Big Fish Wood Bat Tournament in Kenai earlier this week.

Columbia struck for four runs in the third inning, another in the fourth and two more in the fifth.

Leadoff hitter Bryce Giels was named BP Invitational Most Valuable Player. He batted .545 in five games with nine walks to bouy a .737 on-base percentage. Five of his six hits went for extra bases. The slick shortstop also stole eight bases and boasted a 1.000 fielding percentage.

Center fielder Devin Symlar won the Big Stick Award thanks to a tournament-best 12 RBIs. He drove in a tournament record seven RBIs in a Day 3 win over Dimond.

Kenai's Joe Becher was named Most Outstanding Pitcher. He didn't allow an earned run in nine total innings, including the final two frames of the championship game against Tennessee. Becher finished with 12 strikeouts and a complete game win over Lanakina Post 11 of Hawaii on Day 2.

Service catcher Cooper Bailey-Parsons won the tournament's Gold Glove Award.

Calton Easterwood pitched beautifully and Columbia Post 19 banged out 11 hits in a 7-1 win over the Kenai Post 20 Twins in the championship game of the BP Invitational at Mulcahy Stadium.

Easterwood allowed just four hits while striking out a dozen over seven innings of work. The only run the right-hander surrendered was on a balk with two outs in the sixth inning.

The game ended on a double play.

Columbia won the BP Invitational for a record third time and improved to 16-1 in three trips to Alaska under manager Mickey McKeel.

The Tennessee team also beat Kenai - the first-place Legion AA team in Alaska - for the title of the Bill Miller Big Fish Wood Bat Tournament in Kenai earlier this week.

Columbia struck for four runs in the third inning, another in the fourth and two more in the fifth.

Leadoff hitter Bryce Giels was named BP Invitational Most Valuable Player. He batted .545 in five games with nine walks to bouy a .737 on-base percentage. Five of his six hits went for extra bases. The slick shortstop also stole eight bases and boasted a 1.000 fielding percentage.

Center fielder Devin Symlar won the Big Stick Award thanks to a tournament-best 12 RBIs. He drove in a tournament record seven RBIs in a Day 3 win over Dimond.

Kenai's Joe Becher was named Most Outstanding Pitcher. He didn't allow an earned run in nine total innings, including the final two frames of the championship game against Tennessee. Becher finished with 12 strikeouts and a complete game win over Lanakina Post 11 of Hawaii on Day 2.

Service catcher Cooper Bailey-Parsons won the tournament's Gold Glove Award.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage an the ALB Media Director.

The 2016 Alaska Airlines Tournament Tour kicks into high gear this weekend with the Todd Ryan Memorial Tournament in Wasilla.

It’s the first of three consecutive tournaments over the next two weekends.

After Wasilla comes the Bill Miller Big Fish Wood Bat Tournament in Kenai followed by the granddaddy of them all, the BP Invitational at Mulcahy Stadium.

The two Outside teams participating this year are Lanakila Post 11 from Honolulu, Hawaii, and Columbia Post 19 of Columbia, Tennessee.

This is the first time here for the Hawaiian team. However, Columbia is making its third trip to Alaska and is 9-1 in the land of the midnight sun. Tennessee's only loss came in a 2-0 defeat at the hands ofKenai Post 20 in 2012.

Todd Ryan Memorial Tournament

At Wasilla

All games at McManus Field

Friday 7/1

12 PM Fairbanks 30 vs Hawaii

3 PM Fairbanks 11 vs Wasilla

6 PM Palmer vs Wasilla

Saturday 7/2

10 AM Fairbanks 11 vs Fairbanks 30

1 PM Palmer vs. Hawaii

4 PM Wasilla vs. Fairbanks 30

7 PM Fairbanks 11 vs. Palmer

Sunday 7/3

12 PM Hawaii vs. Fairbanks 11

3 PM Palmer vs. Fairbanks 30

6 PM Wasilla vs. Hawaii

Bill Miller Big Fish Wood Bat Tournament

At Kenai

All games at Oiler Park

Tuesday 7/5

10 AM East vs. Tennessee

1 PM Kenai vs. Eagle River

4 PM Eagle River vs. East

7 PM Kenai vs. Tennessee

Wednesday 7/6

12 PM Kenai vs. East

3 PM Tennessee vs. Eagle River

Thursday 7/7

10 AM Consolation

1 PM Championship

BP Invitational

At Anchorage

All games at Mulcahy Stadium

Thursday 7/7

10 AM West vs. Service

1 PM South vs. Chugiak

Friday 7/8

9:15 AM Chugiak vs. Hawaii

11:45 AM Dimond vs. West

2:15 PM Kenai vs. South

5 PM Service vs. Tennessee

7:30 PM Hawaii vs. Kenai

Saturday 7/9

9:15 AM Service vs. Dimond

11:45 AM Kenai vs. Chugiak

2:15 PM Dimond vs. Tennessee

5 PM Hawaii vs. South

7:30 PM Tennessee vs. West

Sunday 7/10

9:15 AM A4 v B4

11:45 AM A2 vs B1

2:15 PM B2 vs. A1

5 PM B3 vs. A3

7:30 PM Championship

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

The 2016 Alaska Airlines Tournament Tour kicks into high gear this weekend with the Todd Ryan Memorial Tournament in Wasilla.

It’s the first of three consecutive tournaments over the next two weekends.

After Wasilla comes the Bill Miller Big Fish Wood Bat Tournament in Kenai followed by the granddaddy of them all, the BP Invitational at Mulcahy Stadium.

The two Outside teams participating this year are Lanakila Post 11 from Honolulu, Hawaii, and Columbia Post 19 of Columbia, Tennessee.

This is the first time here for the Hawaiian team. However, Columbia is making its third trip to Alaska and is 9-1 in the land of the midnight sun. Tennessee's only loss came in a 2-0 defeat at the hands ofKenai Post 20 in 2012.

Todd Ryan Memorial Tournament

At Wasilla

All games at McManus Field

Friday 7/1

12 PM Fairbanks 30 vs Hawaii

3 PM Fairbanks 11 vs Wasilla

6 PM Palmer vs Wasilla

Saturday 7/2

10 AM Fairbanks 11 vs Fairbanks 30

1 PM Palmer vs. Hawaii

4 PM Wasilla vs. Fairbanks 30

7 PM Fairbanks 11 vs. Palmer

Sunday 7/3

12 PM Hawaii vs. Fairbanks 11

3 PM Palmer vs. Fairbanks 30

6 PM Wasilla vs. Hawaii

Bill Miller Big Fish Wood Bat Tournament

At Kenai

All games at Oiler Park

Tuesday 7/5

10 AM East vs. Tennessee

1 PM Kenai vs. Eagle River

4 PM Eagle River vs. East

7 PM Kenai vs. Tennessee

Wednesday 7/6

12 PM Kenai vs. East

3 PM Tennessee vs. Eagle River

Thursday 7/7

10 AM Consolation

1 PM Championship

BP Invitational

At Anchorage

All games at Mulcahy Stadium

Thursday 7/7

10 AM West vs. Service

1 PM South vs. Chugiak

Friday 7/8

9:15 AM Chugiak vs. Hawaii

11:45 AM Dimond vs. West

2:15 PM Kenai vs. South

5 PM Service vs. Tennessee

7:30 PM Hawaii vs. Kenai

Saturday 7/9

9:15 AM Service vs. Dimond

11:45 AM Kenai vs. Chugiak

2:15 PM Dimond vs. Tennessee

5 PM Hawaii vs. South

7:30 PM Tennessee vs. West

Sunday 7/10

9:15 AM A4 v B4

11:45 AM A2 vs B1

2:15 PM B2 vs. A1

5 PM B3 vs. A3

7:30 PM Championship

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

The Under Armour Baseball Factory national tour will be in Anchorage on July 11 at the Kosinski Fields.

Since its inception in 1994, the Baseball Factory has been a national leader in college recruiting.

Players in attendance will be evaluated by the Factory’s professional coaching staff, helping to reveal strengths and build on areas of improvement with proven tools, expert guidance and life-changing experiences to prepare for success on and off the field.

This year’s College World Series features 92 former Factory alums. In the June Major League Baseball Draft, teams selected over 300 Factory alumni, including 38 former Under Armour All-Americans.

Developing their skill set further once in professional baseball, more than 400 Baseball Factory alumni have made their debuts in the big leagues since 1994.

Baseball Factory holds a strong and committed relationship with American Legion, providing amateur players with new opportunities to develop their baseball skills and fulfill their dream of playing collegiate baseball.

Read more about Baseball Factory’s partnership with American Legion at www.baseballfactory.com.

The Under Armour Baseball Factory national tour will be in Anchorage on July 11 at the Kosinski Fields.

Since its inception in 1994, the Baseball Factory has been a national leader in college recruiting.

Players in attendance will be evaluated by the Factory’s professional coaching staff, helping to reveal strengths and build on areas of improvement with proven tools, expert guidance and life-changing experiences to prepare for success on and off the field.

This year’s College World Series features 92 former Factory alums. In the June Major League Baseball Draft, teams selected over 300 Factory alumni, including 38 former Under Armour All-Americans.

Developing their skill set further once in professional baseball, more than 400 Baseball Factory alumni have made their debuts in the big leagues since 1994.

Baseball Factory holds a strong and committed relationship with American Legion, providing amateur players with new opportunities to develop their baseball skills and fulfill their dream of playing collegiate baseball.

Read more about Baseball Factory’s partnership with American Legion at www.baseballfactory.com.

The Alaska Legion Baseball season is in full swing and this weekend’s busy schedule was a good indicator as 16 of 17 AA teams were in action.

Eight fields were used in Juneau, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Wasilla and Anchorage.

Everybody played Saturday except Delta Post 22, the only team in the league that plays a mix of AA [varsity] and A [junior varsity] teams.

The 16 AA programs are vying for the chance to win the 63rd annual Alaska American Legion Baseball State Tournament at the end of July.

They are split into eight-team divisions and play an 18-game league schedule, after which the top eight advance to the state tournament at iconic Mulcahy Stadium and the bottom eight play in the Matson Invitational at Bartlett High.

For 50 years, Mulcahy Stadium has hosted the biggest games in Alaska.

The top three teams from each division after the regular season automatically qualify for the state tournament, as well as two wildcard teams based on the most points.

The AA standings are based on a point system; 4 for a win, 2 for a tie, 1 for a loss and 0 for a forfeit.

The Alaska AA state champion advances to the Northwest Regional in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The regional runs Aug. 3-7 and includes state champions from Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Wyoming and Washington.

Chugiak Post 33 is the defending state champion from Alaska.

The Legion World Series is Aug. 11-16 in Shelby, North Carolina.

As of last week, 3,786 Legion teams nationwide will take the field in 2016, according to legion.org.

This year’s national registration numbers showed an increase from the previous years.

Alaska has been part of the growth.

In the last few years, the ALB has expanded in Fairbanks and the Mat-Su Valley while adding teams in Kodiak, Ketchikan and Delta.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

The Alaska Legion Baseball season is in full swing and this weekend’s busy schedule was a good indicator as 16 of 17 AA teams were in action.

Eight fields were used in Juneau, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Wasilla and Anchorage.

Everybody played Saturday except Delta Post 22, the only team in the league that plays a mix of AA [varsity] and A [junior varsity] teams.

The 16 AA programs are vying for the chance to win the 63rd annual Alaska American Legion Baseball State Tournament at the end of July.

They are split into eight-team divisions and play an 18-game league schedule, after which the top eight advance to the state tournament at iconic Mulcahy Stadium and the bottom eight play in the Matson Invitational at Bartlett High.

For 50 years, Mulcahy Stadium has hosted the biggest games in Alaska.

The top three teams from each division after the regular season automatically qualify for the state tournament, as well as two wildcard teams based on the most points.

The AA standings are based on a point system; 4 for a win, 2 for a tie, 1 for a loss and 0 for a forfeit.

The Alaska AA state champion advances to the Northwest Regional in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The regional runs Aug. 3-7 and includes state champions from Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Wyoming and Washington.

Chugiak Post 33 is the defending state champion from Alaska.

The Legion World Series is Aug. 11-16 in Shelby, North Carolina.

As of last week, 3,786 Legion teams nationwide will take the field in 2016, according to legion.org.

This year’s national registration numbers showed an increase from the previous years.

Alaska has been part of the growth.

In the last few years, the ALB has expanded in Fairbanks and the Mat-Su Valley while adding teams in Kodiak, Ketchikan and Delta.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Since 1994, college coaches from all over the country have come to The Last Frontier to teach the game of baseball to Alaska.

The annual camp was always held at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

But now it's expanding to include the Interior players.

The College Coaches Camp will be in Fairbanks on June 14-15 and then in Palmer June 16-17 before wrapping up in Anchorage June 20-23.

The camp in Anchorage is open only to American Legion Baseball players.

There are youth opportunities in Fairbanks and Palmer.

All abilities are invited to attend and learn.

Camp lead instructor Levi Lacey of Everett Community College in Washington has made more than dozen trips to Alaska in past several years and is a great instructor and teacher of young baseball players.

Lacey's Everett CC teams have finished at or near the top of the prestigious NWAC, one of the toughest junior college leagues in the country.

Other instructors include Rob Strickland of College of Idaho, Kevin Davis of Pierce CC, Shawn Hamberger of College of Idaho, Patrick Perry of Dixie State University, Greg Goetz of Seattle University, Aaron Sutton of Treasure Valley CC and Gabe Boruff of Columbia Basin CC.

Since 1994, college coaches from all over the country have come to The Last Frontier to teach the game of baseball to Alaska.

The annual camp was always held at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

But now it's expanding to include the Interior players.

The College Coaches Camp will be in Fairbanks on June 14-15 and then in Palmer June 16-17 before wrapping up in Anchorage June 20-23.

The camp in Anchorage is open only to American Legion Baseball players.

There are youth opportunities in Fairbanks and Palmer.

All abilities are invited to attend and learn.

Camp lead instructor Levi Lacey of Everett Community College in Washington has made more than dozen trips to Alaska in past several years and is a great instructor and teacher of young baseball players.

Lacey's Everett CC teams have finished at or near the top of the prestigious NWAC, one of the toughest junior college leagues in the country.

Other instructors include Rob Strickland of College of Idaho, Kevin Davis of Pierce CC, Shawn Hamberger of College of Idaho, Patrick Perry of Dixie State University, Greg Goetz of Seattle University, Aaron Sutton of Treasure Valley CC and Gabe Boruff of Columbia Basin CC.

The bullpen was hot and South starter Jonny Homza had thrown 100 pitches when the tying run came to the plate in the seventh inning.

This was the state championship game and Chugiak was knocking at the door with a runner on and one out. Maybe it was time to pull him, but South coach Taylor Nerland stuck with Homza.

“I was stoked, for sure,” Homza told me. “My arm was feeling good and Nerland said ‘Hey man, if you can do it, do it.”

He did it.

The reigning Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year got the next batter to ground out before ending the game with a strikeout, putting his signature on a 3-1 win over the Cook Inlet Conference champions at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

“When it came down to it, Jonny was still pitching well,” Nerland told me of his decision. “He’s a phenomenal competitor and he plays with a lot of emotion. When he got that last out you could tell the adrenaline was going through him. If his arm was hurting, he probably wouldn’t have told me.”

Homza, a junior right-hander, allowed four hits and two walks while striking out 10. He finished with 106 pitches.

“Jonny looked amazing,” fellow South pitcher Tommy Koloski told me. “That’s one of the best outings I’ve ever seen him have.”

It came against a Chugiak team that 11 days ago beat Homza in the CIC championship game. It also came against a Chugiak team that beat South in last year’s state championship game.

Many players from both years were on the field Saturday. It’s become a Yankees-Red Sox type rivalry. It’s special when they square off.

“We’ve been back and forth with them,” Homza said. “I think we just wanted it more because we knew what it felt like to lose to them.”

South took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Max Costello’s fielder’s choice scored Julito Fazzini from third base with one out.

Chugiak tied it at 1-1 in the bottom half when Brady Lindberg delivered a two-out single and scored on Hunter Register’s double.

With two outs in the third inning, Homza jumped on a first-pitch fastball and knocked it out of the ballpark for his first home run in his South career. He picked a fine time, providing the Wolverines with the go-ahead run and the lead for good.

“It was pretty sweet,” he said. “You just go up there to the plate with the same approach. I’ve done it so many times in my life that this time it felt like any other time. I saw the pitch and hit the ball. There’s not much I can really say about it. It was really no different than any other at-bat. It just happened to go out, which was nice.”

Koloski called it a monster shot.

“I knew that home run was out as soon as it left the bat,” he said.

South added an insurance run in the sixth inning when Matt Kley scored from third base on a Chugiak fielding error.

With Homza on the mound, it may have not mattered. He allowed only nine hits and had a 1.47 ERA over his last 19 innings in May and June.

This was South’s fourth consecutive appearance in the state title game. The Wolverines won the 2013 championship before getting second the next two years.

If anything, though, South exercised some demons this year.

“We lost to Sitka two years ago and we beat them. We lost to Chugiak last year and we beat them,” Nerland said. “It feels really good, I’ll tell you that much.”

Third-Place Game

Sitka 6, Ketchikan 5

Sitka built an early lead and survived one bad inning to prevail in a third-place game between Southeast Conference rivals.

Ky Stockel and Branden Case each drove in a pair of runs and Trevor Dalton and Kyle Fitzsimmons each had one RBI.

Case homered and Fitzsimmons tripled as Sitka took a 6-1 lead after the top of the fifth inning.

Nathan Bonck and Co. made things interesting in the bottom half of the frame with a four-spot that made it a one-run game.

Bonck, the ace pitcher headed to Seattle University this fall, finished off his high school career in style with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate that included a three-run home run.

"The ball I hit was a splitter that might've hit me if I didn't swing," Bonck told me. "Totally hooked it and kept it just inside the foul pole."

For his career, the 2015 Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year threw two no-hitters, including a perfect game, and three one-hitters. He also slugged 14 home runs – more than any other player in the state over that time.

“Ketchikan has given me all I could’ve asked for out of a high school baseball experience. Baseball in Southeast Alaska too,” Bonck said. “Traveling and housing out has blessed me with some lifelong friends out of the great town of Sitka.

“I’m happy with how it went and I know I’ve gotten better every year, as a person as well as a ballplayer.”

Fourth-Place Game

Wasilla 15, Lathrop 5

The Warriors broke out the bats in a big way, collecting 14 hits and scoring runs in six of the seven innings to win the fourth-place game at state.

Wasilla's Cyruss Lovell was the game's only player with three hits while teammates Ben Werner, Ryan Perkins, Nolan Monaghan and Kyle Graham each banged out two hits.

Wasilla's Jeffery Forster drove in three runs and Perkins, Monaghan, Jimmy Arend and Graham each had 2 RBIs.

The bullpen was hot and South starter Jonny Homza had thrown 100 pitches when the tying run came to the plate in the seventh inning.

This was the state championship game and Chugiak was knocking at the door with a runner on and one out. Maybe it was time to pull him, but South coach Taylor Nerland stuck with Homza.

“I was stoked, for sure,” Homza told me. “My arm was feeling good and Nerland said ‘Hey man, if you can do it, do it.”

He did it.

The reigning Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year got the next batter to ground out before ending the game with a strikeout, putting his signature on a 3-1 win over the Cook Inlet Conference champions at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

“When it came down to it, Jonny was still pitching well,” Nerland told me of his decision. “He’s a phenomenal competitor and he plays with a lot of emotion. When he got that last out you could tell the adrenaline was going through him. If his arm was hurting, he probably wouldn’t have told me.”

Homza, a junior right-hander, allowed four hits and two walks while striking out 10. He finished with 106 pitches.

“Jonny looked amazing,” fellow South pitcher Tommy Koloski told me. “That’s one of the best outings I’ve ever seen him have.”

It came against a Chugiak team that 11 days ago beat Homza in the CIC championship game. It also came against a Chugiak team that beat South in last year’s state championship game.

Many players from both years were on the field Saturday. It’s become a Yankees-Red Sox type rivalry. It’s special when they square off.

“We’ve been back and forth with them,” Homza said. “I think we just wanted it more because we knew what it felt like to lose to them.”

South took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Max Costello’s fielder’s choice scored Julito Fazzini from third base with one out.

Chugiak tied it at 1-1 in the bottom half when Brady Lindberg delivered a two-out single and scored on Hunter Register’s double.

With two outs in the third inning, Homza jumped on a first-pitch fastball and knocked it out of the ballpark for his first home run in his South career. He picked a fine time, providing the Wolverines with the go-ahead run and the lead for good.

“It was pretty sweet,” he said. “You just go up there to the plate with the same approach. I’ve done it so many times in my life that this time it felt like any other time. I saw the pitch and hit the ball. There’s not much I can really say about it. It was really no different than any other at-bat. It just happened to go out, which was nice.”

Koloski called it a monster shot.

“I knew that home run was out as soon as it left the bat,” he said.

South added an insurance run in the sixth inning when Matt Kley scored from third base on a Chugiak fielding error.

With Homza on the mound, it may have not mattered. He allowed only nine hits and had a 1.47 ERA over his last 19 innings in May and June.

This was South’s fourth consecutive appearance in the state title game. The Wolverines won the 2013 championship before getting second the next two years.

If anything, though, South exercised some demons this year.

“We lost to Sitka two years ago and we beat them. We lost to Chugiak last year and we beat them,” Nerland said. “It feels really good, I’ll tell you that much.”

Third-Place Game

Sitka 6, Ketchikan 5

Sitka built an early lead and survived one bad inning to prevail in a third-place game between Southeast Conference rivals.

Ky Stockel and Branden Case each drove in a pair of runs and Trevor Dalton and Kyle Fitzsimmons each had one RBI.

Case homered and Fitzsimmons tripled as Sitka took a 6-1 lead after the top of the fifth inning.

Nathan Bonck and Co. made things interesting in the bottom half of the frame with a four-spot that made it a one-run game.

Bonck, the ace pitcher headed to Seattle University this fall, finished off his high school career in style with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate that included a three-run home run.

"The ball I hit was a splitter that might've hit me if I didn't swing," Bonck told me. "Totally hooked it and kept it just inside the foul pole."

For his career, the 2015 Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year threw two no-hitters, including a perfect game, and three one-hitters. He also slugged 14 home runs – more than any other player in the state over that time.

“Ketchikan has given me all I could’ve asked for out of a high school baseball experience. Baseball in Southeast Alaska too,” Bonck said. “Traveling and housing out has blessed me with some lifelong friends out of the great town of Sitka.

“I’m happy with how it went and I know I’ve gotten better every year, as a person as well as a ballplayer.”

Fourth-Place Game

Wasilla 15, Lathrop 5

The Warriors broke out the bats in a big way, collecting 14 hits and scoring runs in six of the seven innings to win the fourth-place game at state.

Wasilla's Cyruss Lovell was the game's only player with three hits while teammates Ben Werner, Ryan Perkins, Nolan Monaghan and Kyle Graham each banged out two hits.

Wasilla's Jeffery Forster drove in three runs and Perkins, Monaghan, Jimmy Arend and Graham each had 2 RBIs.

Even though baseball comes down to individual matchups, the game is a team sport all the way.

Just ask the Mustangs.

With ace Cody Curfman not pitching his best early on, Chugiak closer Matt Hess stepped in to throw a season-high 4.1 innings to preserve a slim lead in the state semifinal.

“Matt was great tonight,” Curfman told me. “I just didn’t have it tonight and for Matt to come up big in that situation is huge.”

Hess allowed only one run and wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning with a fly out.

“I misplaced a couple pitches and they capitalized because they are a great hitting team,” Hess told me. “But my team stayed positive and always has my back. They are a great defense and they made the plays they needed to get me out of the jam.”

Chugiak advanced to the state championship game for a rematch of last year’s title matchup with Cook Inlet Conference rival South.

Chugiak beat South 10 days ago for the CIC title. Hess finished off that game, too.

“I love closing games,” said Hess, who has two saves. “It’s an awesome feeling coming into a close game and being the one that gets to finish it on the mound.”

Jake Kindred went 3-for-3 and scored twice. Brady Lindberg drove in two runs and Charlie Bucolo and Curfman each added RBIs.

This was the second straight game the Mustangs put up a crooked number on the scoreboard. Last night it was a five-run first inning against Monroe Catholic. Tonight was it a three-run third.

“We always love to come out hitting first [as visitor],” Curfman said. “When we get a few runs early it really propels us through the rest of the game; and knocks down the confidence of the other team’s pitcher.”

In the seventh inning, Ketchikan gunned down an insurance run on a beautiful relay from left fielder Jackson Pool to shortstop Jacob Shay to catcher Nate Fousel, who tagged out Hess at the plate.

The throw home needed to be perfect to get him.

“It was a good throw and a good tag,” Hess said. “I don’t know if I was out, but it was a tough call and could have gone either way for sure. Very clutch play by them.”

Ketchikan's Nathan Bonck went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs. Teammates Spencer Erickson and Mo Bullock each had two hits.

South 4, Sitka 0

Even though he stood alone on the mound for South in Friday’s state tournament semifinals, starting pitcher Parker Johnson never felt like he was on an island.

He pitches to contact and relies on his defense to make plays behind him.

“I’m not able to overpower hitters,” Johnson told me. “I just try to keep them off balance to get my fielders plays and they always have my back, which is nice.”

The junior right-hander shut out the Southeast Conference champions by scattering six hits and three walks over seven innings of work.

He got the big outs when he needed as Sitka stranded eight runners on base.

“It definitely helps having the best fielders in the state behind me,” Johnson said. “I relied on my changeup, trying to keep hitters off balance and give my team a chance to make plays in the field. They made some big plays for me today, as they always do.”

It’s not just the defense, though. Johnson ended the season with a 15-inning scoreless streak. And his win helped South advance to the state championship game for the fourth consecutive year, looking for first title since 2013.

“It’s exciting,” he said. “I can’t wait.”

The Wolverines got base hits from eight of nine starters and major contributions from the bottom of the lineup as Sladen Mohl, Anthony Maldonado, Max Costello and Trevor McGinnis combined to score three runs and drive in another.

Sitka starter Kyle Fitzsimmons went the distance and had only one bad inning, throwing goose eggs in four frames. He gave up eight hits and three earned runs in six innings.

Sitka coach Matt Way - a 2009 fifth-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies - knows a thing or two about pitching and he liked what he saw from both starting pitchers.

"Both had good control of their offspeed and both worked out of some big jams," Way told me. "It was a fun game. In the end, it came down to defensive execution. We got outplayed today."

Wasilla 4, Monroe Catholic 3

Hank Boyer bunted home Jeffery Forster from third base to allow the Warriors to walk off with an extra-inning game to avoid elimination.

The Southcentral Conference champions scored single runs in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings to advance to the fourth-place game of the state tournament.

Koby Burns hit the tying home run in the sixth, which ultimately forced an extra inning of play.

Nolan Monaghan, Jimmy Arend and Boyer also had RBIs for Wasilla.

Monroe Catholic led 3-1 through four innings, thanks to runs scored by Izak Lohrke, Miachael Richter and Dyland Steele.

Even though baseball comes down to individual matchups, the game is a team sport all the way.

Just ask the Mustangs.

With ace Cody Curfman not pitching his best early on, Chugiak closer Matt Hess stepped in to throw a season-high 4.1 innings to preserve a slim lead in the state semifinal.

“Matt was great tonight,” Curfman told me. “I just didn’t have it tonight and for Matt to come up big in that situation is huge.”

Hess allowed only one run and wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning with a fly out.

“I misplaced a couple pitches and they capitalized because they are a great hitting team,” Hess told me. “But my team stayed positive and always has my back. They are a great defense and they made the plays they needed to get me out of the jam.”

Chugiak advanced to the state championship game for a rematch of last year’s title matchup with Cook Inlet Conference rival South.

Chugiak beat South 10 days ago for the CIC title. Hess finished off that game, too.

“I love closing games,” said Hess, who has two saves. “It’s an awesome feeling coming into a close game and being the one that gets to finish it on the mound.”

Jake Kindred went 3-for-3 and scored twice. Brady Lindberg drove in two runs and Charlie Bucolo and Curfman each added RBIs.

This was the second straight game the Mustangs put up a crooked number on the scoreboard. Last night it was a five-run first inning against Monroe Catholic. Tonight was it a three-run third.

“We always love to come out hitting first [as visitor],” Curfman said. “When we get a few runs early it really propels us through the rest of the game; and knocks down the confidence of the other team’s pitcher.”

In the seventh inning, Ketchikan gunned down an insurance run on a beautiful relay from left fielder Jackson Pool to shortstop Jacob Shay to catcher Nate Fousel, who tagged out Hess at the plate.

The throw home needed to be perfect to get him.

“It was a good throw and a good tag,” Hess said. “I don’t know if I was out, but it was a tough call and could have gone either way for sure. Very clutch play by them.”

Ketchikan's Nathan Bonck went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs. Teammates Spencer Erickson and Mo Bullock each had two hits.

South 4, Sitka 0

Even though he stood alone on the mound for South in Friday’s state tournament semifinals, starting pitcher Parker Johnson never felt like he was on an island.

He pitches to contact and relies on his defense to make plays behind him.

“I’m not able to overpower hitters,” Johnson told me. “I just try to keep them off balance to get my fielders plays and they always have my back, which is nice.”

The junior right-hander shut out the Southeast Conference champions by scattering six hits and three walks over seven innings of work.

He got the big outs when he needed as Sitka stranded eight runners on base.

“It definitely helps having the best fielders in the state behind me,” Johnson said. “I relied on my changeup, trying to keep hitters off balance and give my team a chance to make plays in the field. They made some big plays for me today, as they always do.”

It’s not just the defense, though. Johnson ended the season with a 15-inning scoreless streak. And his win helped South advance to the state championship game for the fourth consecutive year, looking for first title since 2013.

“It’s exciting,” he said. “I can’t wait.”

The Wolverines got base hits from eight of nine starters and major contributions from the bottom of the lineup as Sladen Mohl, Anthony Maldonado, Max Costello and Trevor McGinnis combined to score three runs and drive in another.

Sitka starter Kyle Fitzsimmons went the distance and had only one bad inning, throwing goose eggs in four frames. He gave up eight hits and three earned runs in six innings.

Sitka coach Matt Way - a 2009 fifth-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies - knows a thing or two about pitching and he liked what he saw from both starting pitchers.

"Both had good control of their offspeed and both worked out of some big jams," Way told me. "It was a fun game. In the end, it came down to defensive execution. We got outplayed today."

Wasilla 4, Monroe Catholic 3

Hank Boyer bunted home Jeffery Forster from third base to allow the Warriors to walk off with an extra-inning game to avoid elimination.

The Southcentral Conference champions scored single runs in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings to advance to the fourth-place game of the state tournament.

Koby Burns hit the tying home run in the sixth, which ultimately forced an extra inning of play.

Nolan Monaghan, Jimmy Arend and Boyer also had RBIs for Wasilla.

Monroe Catholic led 3-1 through four innings, thanks to runs scored by Izak Lohrke, Miachael Richter and Dyland Steele.

The defending state champion Mustangs didn’t waste any time as the first seven batters of the game reached base to ignite a five-run first inning.

Charlie Bucolo drove in four runs and Cook Inlet Conference MVP Cody Curfman had three hits and two RBIs for Chugiak.

“Our leaders stepped up today,” Chugiak’s Brady Lindberg told me. “The first rally definitely takes a lot of pressure at the start. It feels good having a strong offense to back my pitching.”

Lindberg threw three scoreless innings on the mound and at the plate he knocked in two runs to help his own cause.

The right-hander allowed one hit and two walks. He struck out four.

“I started to get in my head a lot,” Lindberg said. “I struggled, but I had my defense to back me after I settled down.”

Brian Wing pitched the final two innings to close the door for the CIC champions.

Monroe Catholic is making just its second appearance at the state tournament in school history.

The Rams of Fairbanks have one of the youngest teams in the state and their future looks bright.

Chugiak has now won four straight games at the state tournament, dating back to last season.

South 11, Lathrop 1

After losing the Cook Inlet Conference championship game nine days ago, the Wolverines had plenty of time to prepare for the state tournament. They also had a ton of time to hit.

“We have been hitting a lot during the break between the CIC championship game and today,” South’s Tommy Koloski told me. “We came into the game wanting to get back to playing how we know we can.”

The Wolverines banged out 11 hits in just four frames of work. The game was called after the top of the fifth inning.

“We don’t want another second place and we need to come out swinging with authority these next few games,” said Koloski, the winning pitcher.

South's Matt Kley and Sladen Mohl each had two hits and two RBIs. Teammates Lian Lincoln and Julito Fazzini also drove in two runs apiece.

The Wolverines took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, thanks in part to a pair of bases-loaded walks. They put the Mid-Alaska Conference champions away with a six-run second inning.

“We were hitting for so long, by the time I went back out I felt that I needed to warm up all over again,” said Koloski, who has a 0.95 ERA over his last 22 innings. “I’m glad that I only went three innings so I can come back for another game and do what I do best.”

Lathrop's Colin King had two base hits and Evan Wilken drove in his team's lone run.

Ketchikan 11, Wasilla 1

The Kings jumped all over the Southcentral Conference champion Warriors with four runs in the first inning - all with two outs - to propel them in the first round.

Ketchikan added another run in the second inning and three more in the third inning before Wasilla got on the scoreboard.

Last year's Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year Nathan Bonk pitched beautifully, scattering four hits over seven innings with 11 strikeouts. The only run he allowed was unearned.

Wasilla was the only team in the state to go undefeated in league play.

But Ketchikan wasn't going to be denied.

Mo Bullock and Jackson Pool each collected four RBIs as the Kings outhit Wasilla 12-4.

"Out bats came alive," said Bonck, who went 2-for-4.

Wasilla pitcher Nolan Monaghan struck out a dozen batters in six innings of relief.

Sitka 12, Soldotna 2

Vaughn Blankenship pitched a complete game and Ky Stockel delivered RBIs in the third, fifth and sixth innings as the Southeast Conference champion Wolves rolled in the first round.

Blankenship allowed two runs and four hits [two triples] in the first inning, then settled down nicely. He allowed only one hit over the final six frames.

He struck out 11 batters.

"This win was huge for us," Sitka coach Matt Way told me. "Blankenship is always super tough on the mound, but unfortunately he doesn't get tough until he gives up a run or two.

"He battles, though, and that's what all great pitchers have in common."

Stockel, Dayton Cropper and Josh Young each had two hits as Sitka pounded out 11 against Soldotna ace Joe Becher.

Becher threw two of the team's three no-hitters during the regular season.

Eight Sitka players scored runs and seven drove in runs. Trevor Dalton and Cropper each had two RBIs.

"The offense is one of our biggest weapons this year," Way said. "Where we used to rely on pitching and defense, this year we have worked a ton on our hitters' approach at the plate and it's great to see the guys having success."

This was the first state tournament win for Way, a former hometown hero who pitched at Washington State and the professional ranks.

Way took over last year after longtime coach Ed Conway retired after leading the Wolves to the 2014 state championship.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

The defending state champion Mustangs didn’t waste any time as the first seven batters of the game reached base to ignite a five-run first inning.

Charlie Bucolo drove in four runs and Cook Inlet Conference MVP Cody Curfman had three hits and two RBIs for Chugiak.

“Our leaders stepped up today,” Chugiak’s Brady Lindberg told me. “The first rally definitely takes a lot of pressure at the start. It feels good having a strong offense to back my pitching.”

Lindberg threw three scoreless innings on the mound and at the plate he knocked in two runs to help his own cause.

The right-hander allowed one hit and two walks. He struck out four.

“I started to get in my head a lot,” Lindberg said. “I struggled, but I had my defense to back me after I settled down.”

Brian Wing pitched the final two innings to close the door for the CIC champions.

Monroe Catholic is making just its second appearance at the state tournament in school history.

The Rams of Fairbanks have one of the youngest teams in the state and their future looks bright.

Chugiak has now won four straight games at the state tournament, dating back to last season.

South 11, Lathrop 1

After losing the Cook Inlet Conference championship game nine days ago, the Wolverines had plenty of time to prepare for the state tournament. They also had a ton of time to hit.

“We have been hitting a lot during the break between the CIC championship game and today,” South’s Tommy Koloski told me. “We came into the game wanting to get back to playing how we know we can.”

The Wolverines banged out 11 hits in just four frames of work. The game was called after the top of the fifth inning.

“We don’t want another second place and we need to come out swinging with authority these next few games,” said Koloski, the winning pitcher.

South's Matt Kley and Sladen Mohl each had two hits and two RBIs. Teammates Lian Lincoln and Julito Fazzini also drove in two runs apiece.

The Wolverines took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, thanks in part to a pair of bases-loaded walks. They put the Mid-Alaska Conference champions away with a six-run second inning.

“We were hitting for so long, by the time I went back out I felt that I needed to warm up all over again,” said Koloski, who has a 0.95 ERA over his last 22 innings. “I’m glad that I only went three innings so I can come back for another game and do what I do best.”

Lathrop's Colin King had two base hits and Evan Wilken drove in his team's lone run.

Ketchikan 11, Wasilla 1

The Kings jumped all over the Southcentral Conference champion Warriors with four runs in the first inning - all with two outs - to propel them in the first round.

Ketchikan added another run in the second inning and three more in the third inning before Wasilla got on the scoreboard.

Last year's Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year Nathan Bonk pitched beautifully, scattering four hits over seven innings with 11 strikeouts. The only run he allowed was unearned.

Wasilla was the only team in the state to go undefeated in league play.

But Ketchikan wasn't going to be denied.

Mo Bullock and Jackson Pool each collected four RBIs as the Kings outhit Wasilla 12-4.

"Out bats came alive," said Bonck, who went 2-for-4.

Wasilla pitcher Nolan Monaghan struck out a dozen batters in six innings of relief.

Sitka 12, Soldotna 2

Vaughn Blankenship pitched a complete game and Ky Stockel delivered RBIs in the third, fifth and sixth innings as the Southeast Conference champion Wolves rolled in the first round.

Blankenship allowed two runs and four hits [two triples] in the first inning, then settled down nicely. He allowed only one hit over the final six frames.

He struck out 11 batters.

"This win was huge for us," Sitka coach Matt Way told me. "Blankenship is always super tough on the mound, but unfortunately he doesn't get tough until he gives up a run or two.

"He battles, though, and that's what all great pitchers have in common."

Stockel, Dayton Cropper and Josh Young each had two hits as Sitka pounded out 11 against Soldotna ace Joe Becher.

Becher threw two of the team's three no-hitters during the regular season.

Eight Sitka players scored runs and seven drove in runs. Trevor Dalton and Cropper each had two RBIs.

"The offense is one of our biggest weapons this year," Way said. "Where we used to rely on pitching and defense, this year we have worked a ton on our hitters' approach at the plate and it's great to see the guys having success."

This was the first state tournament win for Way, a former hometown hero who pitched at Washington State and the professional ranks.

Way took over last year after longtime coach Ed Conway retired after leading the Wolves to the 2014 state championship.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Whether he was pitching, hitting or catching, Cody Curfman of Chugiak was a game changer.

The senior all-star won a league-best four games on the mound; he drove in nine runs in 11 games, including a pair in the league championship game; and he caught a no-hitter and erased 10 runners on the base paths this year.

Yeah, just give him the player-of-the-year award.

That’s exactly what the Cook Inlet Conferences coaches did in honoring Curfman with the 2016 Don Rabung CIC MVP Award at a league meeting Friday.

Curfman is 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA at pitcher. He pitched six innings in the CIC title game as Chugiak beat South 6-4 at Mulcahy Stadium to secure the league’s No. 1 seed at state.

He was the catcher on Chugiak’s combined no-hitter by Brady Lindberg and Matt Hess against East. He gunned out a league-high six runners trying to steal bases.

Curfman was one of four players to make the all-conference first team at two positions. Another was his teammate, Hess, who made it at relief pitcher and second baseman.

The other two were from Service – Ronan Klancher [SP, OF] and Raleigh Pigg [RP, SS].

Hess also has do-it-all talent for the Mustangs.

In addition to being a two-time first team selection, he was awarded for with the CIC Big Stick Award. He led the league with a .464 batting average and seven doubles.

The league’s Gold Glove Award went to slick South third baseman Matthew Kley, who made only one error on 19 defensive chances and flashed a .950 fielding percentage.

All-conference voting was done by league head coaches or their designee. Coaches couldn’t vote for their own players. The number of nominations per team was based on league standings.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Whether he was pitching, hitting or catching, Cody Curfman of Chugiak was a game changer.

The senior all-star won a league-best four games on the mound; he drove in nine runs in 11 games, including a pair in the league championship game; and he caught a no-hitter and erased 10 runners on the base paths this year.

Yeah, just give him the player-of-the-year award.

That’s exactly what the Cook Inlet Conferences coaches did in honoring Curfman with the 2016 Don Rabung CIC MVP Award at a league meeting Friday.

Curfman is 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA at pitcher. He pitched six innings in the CIC title game as Chugiak beat South 6-4 at Mulcahy Stadium to secure the league’s No. 1 seed at state.

He was the catcher on Chugiak’s combined no-hitter by Brady Lindberg and Matt Hess against East. He gunned out a league-high six runners trying to steal bases.

Curfman was one of four players to make the all-conference first team at two positions. Another was his teammate, Hess, who made it at relief pitcher and second baseman.

The other two were from Service – Ronan Klancher [SP, OF] and Raleigh Pigg [RP, SS].

Hess also has do-it-all talent for the Mustangs.

In addition to being a two-time first team selection, he was awarded for with the CIC Big Stick Award. He led the league with a .464 batting average and seven doubles.

The league’s Gold Glove Award went to slick South third baseman Matthew Kley, who made only one error on 19 defensive chances and flashed a .950 fielding percentage.

All-conference voting was done by league head coaches or their designee. Coaches couldn’t vote for their own players. The number of nominations per team was based on league standings.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Seniors Tyler Thompson and Garrett Brown of Anchorage were each selected to the NCAA D3 West Regional all-tournament team after helping Pacific Lutheran University reach the championship game.

PLU lost to Trinity of Texas 12-7 to fall one win shy of advancing to the World Series.

The Northwest Conference champion Lutes of Tacoma, Washington, finished the season 29-19.

In the regional title game Saturday, Thompson extended his hitting streak to 25 games in his final college game. That’s the longest streak by any Alaska player this year.

He also finished his career with 19 home runs, which is the most by any active player.

Thompson led PLU with a .339 batting average, nine home runs, 38 RBIs, 106 total bases and a .561 slugging percentage.

Yeah, dude crushed it this year.

So did Brown, a former catcher turned relief pitcher.

Brown emerged as the team’s closer and most reliable option out of the bullpen – no matter the situation.

The right-hander had 12 saves on the season, including two during the regional tournament. He also pitched seven innings of one-run relief at regionals to earn the team’s first of three postseason wins there.

He appeared in a team-high 29 games and finished with a 2.09 ERA in 56 innings.

Together, Thompson and Brown helped PLU win a combined 61 games over the last two seasons and advance to the NCAA D3 West Regional both years.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Seniors Tyler Thompson and Garrett Brown of Anchorage were each selected to the NCAA D3 West Regional all-tournament team after helping Pacific Lutheran University reach the championship game.

PLU lost to Trinity of Texas 12-7 to fall one win shy of advancing to the World Series.

The Northwest Conference champion Lutes of Tacoma, Washington, finished the season 29-19.

In the regional title game Saturday, Thompson extended his hitting streak to 25 games in his final college game. That’s the longest streak by any Alaska player this year.

He also finished his career with 19 home runs, which is the most by any active player.

Thompson led PLU with a .339 batting average, nine home runs, 38 RBIs, 106 total bases and a .561 slugging percentage.

Yeah, dude crushed it this year.

So did Brown, a former catcher turned relief pitcher.

Brown emerged as the team’s closer and most reliable option out of the bullpen – no matter the situation.

The right-hander had 12 saves on the season, including two during the regional tournament. He also pitched seven innings of one-run relief at regionals to earn the team’s first of three postseason wins there.

He appeared in a team-high 29 games and finished with a 2.09 ERA in 56 innings.

Together, Thompson and Brown helped PLU win a combined 61 games over the last two seasons and advance to the NCAA D3 West Regional both years.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

When he graduated high school Max Karnos of Anchorage was probably the best pitcher in the state.

Then he went to Western Nevada College and became arguably the most durable pitcher over his two years there.

Now he’s at Sacramento State in California, and it’s the same as it ever was.

Karnos, of South Post 4 fame, is the ace of the staff and ranks among the Western Athletic Conference leaders in the three most critical categories for a pitcher.

The 6-foot-4 starter has the second-best ERA [2.77] in the WAC while his 84.1 innings and seven wins both rank fourth.

In three years of college ball he has thrown 250.2 career innings and ranked first or second on his team each season.

Karnos improved his record to 7-3 after Sac State beat Seattle University 6-3.

He allowed two runs over six innings, overcoming six base on balls and escaping a two-on, one-out jam in the fourth inning with a strikeout and groundout. He threw clean frames in the fifth and sixth innings.

Karnos is 5-1 in his last six decisions.

His next start will come in next weekend’s WAC Tournament in Mesa, Arizona.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

When he graduated high school Max Karnos of Anchorage was probably the best pitcher in the state.

Then he went to Western Nevada College and became arguably the most durable pitcher over his two years there.

Now he’s at Sacramento State in California, and it’s the same as it ever was.

Karnos, of South Post 4 fame, is the ace of the staff and ranks among the Western Athletic Conference leaders in the three most critical categories for a pitcher.

The 6-foot-4 starter has the second-best ERA [2.77] in the WAC while his 84.1 innings and seven wins both rank fourth.

In three years of college ball he has thrown 250.2 career innings and ranked first or second on his team each season.

Karnos improved his record to 7-3 after Sac State beat Seattle University 6-3.

He allowed two runs over six innings, overcoming six base on balls and escaping a two-on, one-out jam in the fourth inning with a strikeout and groundout. He threw clean frames in the fifth and sixth innings.

Karnos is 5-1 in his last six decisions.

His next start will come in next weekend’s WAC Tournament in Mesa, Arizona.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Tyler Thompson and Garrett Brown of Anchorage are playing the best baseball of their lives for Pacific Lutheran University.

They need to keep it going for one more game to reach the NCAA D3 College World Series.

PLU has roared back from a first-round loss at the NCAA West Regional in Spokane, Washington, with three consecutive victories – including two on Friday – to advance to the regional championship game.

PLU will face Trinity of Texas on Saturday in a rematch of the opening round when Trinity prevailed 7-3. The winner of Saturday’s game advances to the World Series.

Thompson, of Dimond Post 21 fame, extended his personal-best hitting streak to 24 games with a 4-for-4 performance in a 3-2 win over Texas-Tyler that pushed PLU into the regional title game.

Brown, of Service Post 28 fame, earned the save – his second save of the day and his 12th of the season, which ties the senior right-hander for the second most in the country.

Earlier in the day, PLU beat Whitworth 8-5 with Thompson delivering an RBI single to open the scoring in the first inning.

It was the 93rd RBI of his college career.

On Thursday, PLU beat Cal Lutheran 8-6 in the first of its three straight wins in elimination games.

Thompson hit his ninth home run of the season and Brown pitched seven innings of one-run relief to earn the win – the fourth time this season that in the same game Thompson has homered and Brown has either earned a save or win.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Tyler Thompson and Garrett Brown of Anchorage are playing the best baseball of their lives for Pacific Lutheran University.

They need to keep it going for one more game to reach the NCAA D3 College World Series.

PLU has roared back from a first-round loss at the NCAA West Regional in Spokane, Washington, with three consecutive victories – including two on Friday – to advance to the regional championship game.

PLU will face Trinity of Texas on Saturday in a rematch of the opening round when Trinity prevailed 7-3. The winner of Saturday’s game advances to the World Series.

Thompson, of Dimond Post 21 fame, extended his personal-best hitting streak to 24 games with a 4-for-4 performance in a 3-2 win over Texas-Tyler that pushed PLU into the regional title game.

Brown, of Service Post 28 fame, earned the save – his second save of the day and his 12th of the season, which ties the senior right-hander for the second most in the country.

Earlier in the day, PLU beat Whitworth 8-5 with Thompson delivering an RBI single to open the scoring in the first inning.

It was the 93rd RBI of his college career.

On Thursday, PLU beat Cal Lutheran 8-6 in the first of its three straight wins in elimination games.

Thompson hit his ninth home run of the season and Brown pitched seven innings of one-run relief to earn the win – the fourth time this season that in the same game Thompson has homered and Brown has either earned a save or win.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Sacramento State pitcher Max Karnos of Anchorage didn’t just throw his first 9-inning complete game over the weekend.

It was the first time in seven years that an Alaskan went all nine innings in a NCAA D1 game.

The junior right-hander pitched a 3-hit shutout in an 8-0 win over Utah Valley, facing just one batter over the minimum.

“I was getting ahead of a lot of batters and they were a really aggressive team, so early in counts they were getting out,” Karnos told me.

He walked one and allowed three singles, each of which was erased on double plays the following batter.

He got the job done on just 94 pitches.

“I wasn’t tired at all. I could have thrown a couple more innings,” Karnos said with a laugh.

“It felt awesome. It’s always nice to be able to finish the games I started.”

It was his second complete game of the season, although the first one April 16 was cut short after eight innings by the mercy rule in a 10-0 win over Chicago State.

Plus, he said, the coaching staff had planned to pull him in the ninth inning anyway.

Karnos is the first Alaska pitcher since Matt Way with Washington State in 2009 to throw a 9-inning complete game. Way fired a 5-hitter in a 7-2 win over UCLA.

Karnos [5-3] is tied for the most wins on his team. He also has the most innings [70.1] and lowest ERA [2.94].

In fact, his ERA is a full run better than the team average [4.24].

“Compared to the first day this season I am way better,” Karnos said. “I think it's a combination of getting on the same page as my pitching coach who calls pitches and just settling down and pitching to my strengths.”

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Sacramento State pitcher Max Karnos of Anchorage didn’t just throw his first 9-inning complete game over the weekend.

It was the first time in seven years that an Alaskan went all nine innings in a NCAA D1 game.

The junior right-hander pitched a 3-hit shutout in an 8-0 win over Utah Valley, facing just one batter over the minimum.

“I was getting ahead of a lot of batters and they were a really aggressive team, so early in counts they were getting out,” Karnos told me.

He walked one and allowed three singles, each of which was erased on double plays the following batter.

He got the job done on just 94 pitches.

“I wasn’t tired at all. I could have thrown a couple more innings,” Karnos said with a laugh.

“It felt awesome. It’s always nice to be able to finish the games I started.”

It was his second complete game of the season, although the first one April 16 was cut short after eight innings by the mercy rule in a 10-0 win over Chicago State.

Plus, he said, the coaching staff had planned to pull him in the ninth inning anyway.

Karnos is the first Alaska pitcher since Matt Way with Washington State in 2009 to throw a 9-inning complete game. Way fired a 5-hitter in a 7-2 win over UCLA.

Karnos [5-3] is tied for the most wins on his team. He also has the most innings [70.1] and lowest ERA [2.94].

In fact, his ERA is a full run better than the team average [4.24].

“Compared to the first day this season I am way better,” Karnos said. “I think it's a combination of getting on the same page as my pitching coach who calls pitches and just settling down and pitching to my strengths.”

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Sacramento State pitcher Max Karnos of Anchorage didn’t just throw his first 9-inning complete game over the weekend.

It was the first time in seven years that an Alaskan went all nine innings in a NCAA D1 game.

The junior right-hander pitched a 3-hit shutout in an 8-0 win over Utah Valley, facing just one batter over the minimum.

“I was getting ahead of a lot of batters and they were a really aggressive team, so early in counts they were getting out,” Karnos told me.

He walked one and allowed three singles, each of which was erased on double plays the following batter.

He got the job done on just 94 pitches.

“I wasn’t tired at all. I could have thrown a couple more innings,” Karnos said with a laugh.

“It felt awesome. It’s always nice to be able to finish the games I started.”

It was his second complete game of the season, although the first one April 16 was cut short after eight innings by the mercy rule in a 10-0 win over Chicago State.

Plus, he said, the coaching staff had planned to pull him in the ninth inning anyway.

Karnos is the first Alaska pitcher since Matt Way with Washington State in 2009 to throw a 9-inning complete game. Way fired a 5-hitter in a 7-2 win over UCLA.

Karnos [5-3] is tied for the most wins on his team. He also has the most innings [70.1] and lowest ERA [2.94].

In fact, his ERA is a full run better than the team average [4.24].

“Compared to the first day this season I am way better,” Karnos said. “I think it's a combination of getting on the same page as my pitching coach who calls pitches and just settling down and pitching to my strengths.”

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Ben Ross of Palmer has always had some pop in his bat, but the right-handed slugger suffered a power outage as a freshman at Blue Mountain Community College in Washington.

So he changed his approach at the plate and it was like a light went on.

“I’ve learned that power can be substituted with precise hitting,” he told me.

Ross is no longer just a pull hitter as he’s now able to take pitches the other way, which has helped make him one of the top run producers in the NWAC.

The sophomore outfielder is hitting .336 in 34 games and ranks 10th in the league with 28 RBIs. He is also riding a 16-game hitting streak, the second longest among Alaskans playing college baseball.

Just call him the 907’s Comeback Player of the Year.

“This year has been one for the books for me so far,” he said. “I'm finally getting the playing time I've been seeking in college, and enjoying every minute of it.”

Ross has more home runs [3] as a sophomore than he did base hits [2] as a freshman. He also has 10 doubles and a triple.

His new approach hasn’t kept him from swinging a big bat either. It’s just now he’s smarter about it. For example, he has struck out only nine times in his last 70 plate appearances.

“This approach has greatly helped when there are guys in scoring position,” he said. “Instead of trying to hit a bomb shot I relax and contain my swing to drive the ball the other way to give that greater chance of getting those runs in.”

Ross, who played high school ball at Colony and Legion for Wasilla Post 35, is hitting .389 during his hitting streak that dates back to April 6. He entered that day hitting .281 on the season. Now he’s up to .336.

“I'm usually aggressive in the box so I'm not afraid to hack at a first-pitch strike,” he said. “I'm really anxious to hit the ball, so if it’s there, I'm hackin.”

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

The Dickinson State junior from Anchorage enjoyed a huge weekend against the University of Winnipeg during NAIA action in North Dakota, going 9-for-15 [.600] with five extra-base hits and 10 RBIs in four games.

Osborne, of Dimond Post 21 fame, continued his career season by lifting his batting average to .383 in 46 games.

He also extended his hitting streak to 12 games, one shy of his season-high 13-game streak earlier this season.

Osborne isn't just getting on base - he's driving the ball in the gap, driving in teammates and scoring lots of runs.

He leads Dickinson State with 18 doubles and 21 extra-base hits, ranks second with 38 RBIs and third with 32 runs.

Osborne has also doubled in five straight games.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

For the third time this college baseball season Anchorage's Tyler Thompson homered and Garrett Brown earned the save in the same game for Pacific Lutheran University.

This time, though, it helped the Lutes capture the Northwest Conference championship and punch their ticket to the NCAA D3 regional tournament in May.

Thompson crushed a two-out solo home run in the second inning that proved to be the game winner and Brown pitched the final two innings as PLU beat Whitworth 6-5 in Spokane, Washington.

“It’s funny because me and Garrett always talk about him getting a save and me getting a home run in a game, and it’s happened a few times,” Thompson told me. “We both just get pumped up for each other when we do well.”

Thompson, of Dimond Post 21 fame, ranks third in the Northwest Conference with a career-high eight home runs.

Brown, of Service Post 28 fame, leads the league with a career-high nine saves.

Together, they are a big reason why the Lutes have posted a 10-2 record this month and are red hot entering the regional playoffs.

Today, PLU opened the game by scoring five runs in the top of the first only to have Whitworth answer with five of their own to tie the game.

Thompson hit the go-ahead homer the next inning.

“My mentality for my at-bat was just to try and get a rally going,” he said. “The pitcher left the ball up and I put a good swing on it.”

From there, PLU pitchers threw nothing but goose eggs.

“Our pitching shut them down,” Thompson said. “It’s just an awesome feeling winning the conference tournament after all the ups and downs our team went through to get to this point.”

With 16 career homers, Thompson is the active leader among Alaskans playing college baseball. His latest dinger was memorable, but he hopes there are more to come.

“This moment means a lot to me, to come through for my team in that situation definitely got me going,” he said. “It was an awesome day for our team.”

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

The boys of summer hit the field Saturday in Anchorage in the earliest start date in more than 25 years of high school baseball.

Ten years ago, teams prepared for the season by taking ground balls and batting practice in parking lots. And when the players finally did get on the fields, the conditions were terrible: muddy and wet.

But FieldTurf has changed how the game is played in Alaska.

In past years Anchorage teams from the Cook Inlet Conference had gone elsewhere in Alaska to play in mid-April, but not this year.

West vs. Bartlett, 10 a.m.

Service vs. Eagle River, 1 p.m.

Colony vs. South, 4 p.m.

Bartlett has one of just three all-FieldTurf baseball fields in Alaska – the other locations are Sitka and Kodiak.

However, FieldTurf baseball /softball infields through the advocacy of American Legion baseball is now becoming a growing trend because the surface allows for a longer season with more consistent bounces and game play and less maintenance required.

Current FieldTurf infields constructed by Alliance for ALB with partnerships forged with Anchorage Parks and Recreation, Anchorage Parks Foundation, Eagle River Parks and Recreation and Mt View Lions include:

Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage: Opened April 2010;

Polar LL Blackburn Field in Anchorage: Opened May 2014 repurposed from AFS;

Polar LL Peck Field in Anchorage: Opened May 2014 repurposed from AFS;

Kosinski 4 Field in Anchorage: Opened May 2015;

Kosinski 3 Field in Anchorage: Opened May 2015;

Loretta French Field in Eagle River: Opening May 2016;

Oberg Field in Chugiak: Opening May 2016.

Other areas of the state have also looked to add FieldTurf baseball/softball infields constructed by the Mat Su Borough and the Mat Su School District:

Joe Redington High School near Wasilla: Scheduled to open Fall of 2016 FieldTurf Baseball and Softball infields;

Wasilla High School near Wasilla: Schedule to open Fall of 2016 FieldTurf Baseball and Softball infields.

Future plans discussed by the Alliance with its partner American Legion programs is FieldTurf fields in Fairbanks, Ketchikan and Juneau as well as partnership with statewide Little League baseball and softball organizations to use repurposed FieldTurf for infields.

Here's a look at the non-league [NL] schedule:

SATURDAY, APRIL 16

BA West vs. Bartlett 10:00 AM

BA Service vs. Eagle River 1:00 PM

BA Colony vs. South 4:00 PM

THURSDAY, APRIL 21

BA Delta vs. Chugiak 6:30 PM

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

BA Palmer vs. Dimond 6:30 PM

K4 Delta vs. Eagle River 6:30 PM

SATURDAY, APRIL 23

ASD-APPROVED JAMBOREE

Scrimmages limited to 2 innings or 1 hour

K4 Service vs. West 10:00 AM

K3 Delta vs. Dimond 10:00 AM

K4 West vs. Dimond 11:15 AM

K3 Delta vs. Service 11:15 AM

K4 Dimond vs. Service 12:30 PM

K3 West vs. Delta 12:30 PM

ASD-APPROVED JAMBOREE

Scrimmages limited to 2 innings or 1 hour

K4 Eagle River vs. Bartlett 2:00 PM

K3 Chugiak vs. East 2:00 PM

K4 Bartlett vs. East 3:15 PM

K3 Chugiak vs. Eagle River 3:15 PM

K4 East vs. Eagle River 4:30 PM

K3 Bartlett vs. Chugiak 4:30 PM

***Jamboree Rules

A baseball Jamboree shall include three or more teams. A team is limited to no more than 6 innings total with no more than 2 innings against any other team. Each pitcher is limited to no more than 2 innings. A team may not play in more than one Jamboree each season. No scores are kept in a Jamboree.

The University of Jamestown's Lance Ibesate of Juneau is crazy consistent with the bat.

The second baseman has nearly an identical batting average, slugging percentage and stolen base totals in each of the last two NAIA seasons.

He hit .368 in 46 games last year and .366 in 41 games this year while his slugging percentage has been .485 and .486. He's also swiped exactly 20 bags each year.

There hasn't been a more a consistent hitter from Alaska than Ibesate at the college level over that time.

"My approach at the plate is a gap-to-gap approach," Ibesate told me. "It's something we've been working on all year and it's showing with our team."

The former Juneau Post 25 all-star currently is riding a 14-game hitting streak for Jamestown, which has won 38 of 41 games this year.

"I've been having success at the plate not because of myself but because of the teammates I have," he said. "With the pitch staff and hitters I have, makes my job simple."

Ibesate's 14-game hitting streak is the longest of any player from Alaska this season. Anchorage's Sagan Osborne of Dickinson State had a 13-game hitting streak earlier this season and Pacific Lutheran's Tyler Thompson of Anchorage owns a current 11-game hitting streak.

Ibesate and Osborne were on the same field last weekend during a four-game series in North Dakota.

Ibesate went 6-for-14 [.428] with four runs and three RBIs as his team won three of four. Osborne went 5-for-17 [.294] with five RBIs.

“Facing another Alaskan is always a pleasure,” Ibesate said. “It’s always fun competing with someone you have something in common with, and that’s having played in The Last Frontier.”

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Anchorage's Tyler Thompson doesn't go to the plate trying to hit a home run, but he doesn't get cheated either.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior slugger at Pacific Lutheran University takes a healthy cut and sometimes he gets enough to knock it out of the ballpark.

"I go up trying to do damage and if I get a good swing on it then home runs will follow," he told me.

Thompson, of Dimond Post 21 fame, is crushing the ball this season with the NCAA D3 Lutes of Tacoma, Washington, where he leads the team with five home runs.

Even better, he is currently riding an 11-game hitting streak.

Overall the cleanup hitter is batting .294 in 34 games with 18 RBIs and 25 runs.

He is averaging a home run every 6.8 games this year compared to 12.6 in 2014.

Thompson is Alaska's career leader among active players with 13 career home runs in three seasons at PLU.

"The home runs have meant a lot to me for a couple of reasons," he said. "I was never a home-run hitter growing up. I would hit one here and there, but never on a consistent basis.

"I always wanted to be a home-run hitter, but never thought I actually would be."

Who could blame him? Chicks dig the long ball.

Things changed for Thompson when he hit a growth spurt in high school. He also started lifting weights. By the time he got to college he was stronger than ever.

Crushing bombs, however, is more than just being buff.

You have to be able to actually hit, including pitches other than just fastballs.

"My approach at the plate is be aggressive. I've always been an aggressive hitter," Thompson said. "One thing that I've had to work on more this year is staying balanced and hitting more off-speed pitches.

"Being in the 4-hole for the majority of my games I get more off-speed pitches. I would say probably four of my five home runs this season have been on off-speed pitches."

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

There is a power surge happening at Arizona Western College, courtesy of Scooter Bynum of Fairbanks.

The 20-year-old sophomore centerfielder has seen his slugging percentage climb to new heights on the baseball field this season, thanks to career-high totals in doubles, triples and home runs.

Best of all his batting average hasn’t taken a hit as a result of his added power.

Bynum, of Fairbanks Legion Post 11/30 fame, is hitting .311 in 37 games compared to .314 in 54 games as a freshman.

“The weight room and the reps from JUCO ball, it’s different than in Alaska, where you get the chance to fail and then pick yourself back up.”

He played in eight games as a senior in high school. In two years at Arizona Western College he has played in 91 – and counting. There are 14 games left in the regular season.

“I’m looking to get really hot here and make the playoffs,” he said.

Bynum’s slugging percentage of .485 is the highest among active Alaskans playing college baseball; better than other notable hitters from the state like Sagan Osborne [.472], Lance Ibesate [.472] and Tyler Thompson [.470].

Bynum has 13 extra-base hits on six doubles, four triples and three home runs.

“That’s good, but I can be better and I know that so I’m gonna do it,” he said.

His slugging percentage is 72 points higher than his freshman season when he had eight extra-base hits [3-3-2].

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Lots of baseball players are superstitious and Garrett Brown of Anchorage is no different.

Things are going so well for the Pacific Lutheran University right-handed pitcher that he refuses to shave his beard.

Brown hasn’t allowed a run in the month of March, a scoreless streak that extends 15.2 inning over six relief appearances.

Nobody dare talks about the streak, though, in fear of upsetting the baseball gods.

“Baseball is a weird sport like that,” Brown told me. “Only way I won’t perform well is if I do it to myself. If I throw the ball down the middle I’ll get smacked. If I hit spots, and locate, no one will hit me.

“So it’s all up to me – no superstitions involved.”

Brown, of Service Legion Post 28 fame, has a 3-3 record with two saves in 13 games and a 2.25 ERA in 24 innings.

The senior is one of the first options out of the bullpen because of his durability and consistency. Take last weekend’s doubleheader against George Fox when he closed out the game on back-to-back days.

Brown’s success is based on location, getting ahead in the count and pitching to his defense – a winning formula at any level.

“Our defense is ranked top 5 in the nation right now so I’ve been attaching batters with my fastball,” he said. “I’ve learned that coming out of the pen isn’t as easy as people make it seem. It requires extreme focus as one bad pitch can lose a game.”

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Never mind flirting with .400, Sagan Osborne of Anchorage is straight going steady with the benchmark batting average.

The Dickinson State shortstop banged out two more hits today to raise his average to .406 in 27 games this season.

Osborne, of Dimond Legion Post 21 fame, went 2-for-4 and drove in the game-winning run with a two-out RBI single in the fifth inning to key a 3-2 victory over the University of Mary in NAIA baseball action in Bismarck, North Dakota.

He now has 39 hits in 96 at-bats. He came into the game hitting .402.

Osborne leads Dickinson State in batting average, doubles [9] and ranks second with 19 runs and 18 RBIs.

He has struck out just seven times in 108 plate appearances.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Never mind Brian Way, his name should be Brian Win because that’s all he does.

The Sitka pitcher tossed six innings for Edmonds Community College in a 4-0 win over Pierce College over the weekend, improving to 2-0 in two starts this year and continuing a winning trend as a college pitcher.

His teams have a 32-4 record when he pitches.

Edmonds has won 15 of 17 NWAC games since 2015 and the Bellingham Bells were victorious in 17 of 19 West Coast League games last summer.

He’s not making token appearances either.

The 6-foot-7 right-hander has posted a 12-2 record with eight saves, meaning his fingerprints were all over 20 of those 32 wins.

Even better, his 1.51 ERA in 83.2 career innings just shows you how dominant the big guy has been.

He also won his final start for Sitka en route to winning a state title.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Sacramento State threw transfer Max Karnos of Anchorage to the wolves right off the bat, starting him on the road against Auburn and No. 5 LSU in his first two appearances.

He wouldn’t want it any other way.

Karnos came to Sac State for the chance to face NCAA D1 talent and he got his wish.

“LSU was an unbelievable atmosphere,” he told me. “The fans there were awesome and it is as if you are a big leaguer for the weekend.”

The 6-foot-4 right-handed pitcher got hit around a little bit by those two SEC teams before he bounced back in his first home start to beat South Dakota State 4-0.

Karnos, of South Post 4 fame, tossed five clean innings of 2-hit ball.

“It was nice getting the first win out of the way,” he said. “It’s almost as if a little weight is off my shoulders.”

He got sharper as the game went.

“During the first couple of innings all of my pitches were moving like were supposed to but I was just locating them badly,” Karnos said. “I settled in for the last two innings got back to the way I usually pitch.”

It was a different story against Auburn and LSU, which combined to score nine earned runs on 15 hits over seven innings.

It wasn’t his best effort, but he didn’t feel overmatched.

“The hitters there are not much different from guys I face on the West Coast. If anything, they hunt for off-speed more and are more patient at the plate,” Karnos said. “I learned that getting ahead in counts is make-or-break for a pitcher like me.”

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Join Everett Community College head coach Levi Lacey and his staff for this high paced, informative camp next week in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley.

Get in-depth instruction in all aspects of the game, detailed practice and lesson plans, and information for youth coaches and parents for four days, starting a week from today.

Everett CC has won nearly 100 games over the last 3 seasons and the team captured the NWAACC title in 2013.

"We will challenge our campers to become better players." Lacey said. "The delivery of our information is what sets us apart from other camps. We want the athlete to understand information as well as execute the information physically."

This is the eighth year Lacey and Co. have come to Alaska.

Normally the camp is held four days in Anchorage, but this year it’s taking the show on the road to the Menard Center in Wasilla.

Brian Way of Sitka had so much fun last summer with the Bellingham Bells that the relief pitcher is going back in 2016.

The West Coast League baseball team announced that the 21-year-old Alaskan would return – and why not? The big dude dealt last year.

The 6-foot-7 right-hander flashed nice numbers with a 4-0 record, 7 saves and a 1.56 ERA in 17 appearances.

“Brian is an extremely gifted pitcher,” Bells’ Vice President of Operations Nick Caples told the team’s website. “The key to his success is that he keeps the opposition off of the base paths. When you can do that with consistency, you give your team a great chance to win games.

“He has showcased to the fans what he is capable of and I know that everyone is excited to see him out there.”

Way, of Sitka High fame, played a pivotal role coming out of the bullpen for Bellingham, which finished atop the West Division with a 33-21 record.

“I had a great time this summer,” Way told me. “The Bells know how to greet you up there. It’s a great town to play for the summer.”

The West Coast League is one of the premier summer baseball leagues in the country.

“Throwing against more experienced hitters in the WCL made be more precise with all of my pitches and it forced me not to make as many mistakes or when I did I missed off the plate,” Way said.

He is entering his sophomore season at Edmonds Community College in Washington. As a freshman he put up impressive stats with a 6-2 record and 1.76 ERA in 15 starts.

He’s looking for another big year.

“Never worked so hard for a season in my life,” Way said. “I’m ready.”

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

The Cleveland Indians have given Dylan Baker of Juneau a tip of the cap.

The MLB team added the 23-year-old pitcher to its 40-man roster, the ultimate compliment given Baker threw only five innings in 2015.

“I was pretty surprised. I knew I had a chance but also knew so many players had good years, and I have been injured the whole year,” Baker told me. “Definitely gives me a boost of confidence, especially being injured two years in a row. Just shows that they still believe in me.”

The 40-man roster is made up of players that have signed a big league contract and they can be called up to the 25-man roster at any time, which means he is just a phone call away from pitching in ‘The Show.’

Only three Alaskans have actual MLB experience - Marshall Boze and Chris Mabeus of Soldotna and Chad Bentz of Juneau.

Baker, a rocket-armed right-hander, pitched last season for the Class A Advanced Lynchburg Hillcats. In his lone start he threw five hitless innings and struck out a career-high nine batters.

Then he suffered a major right elbow injury that shut him down for the rest of the season.

“I have been rehabbing for a little over seven months now,” he said. “It’s a 12-month recovery if everything goes as planned.”

Baker has an 11-11 record and 3.68 ERA in 48 career games. He has 207 Ks in 242 innings. He is one of only nine Alaska pitchers to reach double-digit wins as the pro level.

He accepted an invitation to attend Cleveland’s spring training in Arizona but obviously won’t pitch. That doesn’t mean he won’t enjoy himself, though.

“It will be an awesome experience being around all the big leaguers,” Baker said.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Winning is always fun and right now the Alaska Baseball Academy all-stars are having lots of fun under the sun at the Arizona Fall Classic.

The Alaskans picked up their third win in as many days, this time beating MVP Baseball 5-2. The MVP squad featured players from different states on their roster.

“It’s really cool for an Alaska team to go out of state and be successful,” Anchorage’s Jonny Homza told me. “I wouldn’t say I’m surprised about it, though, because we have a really solid, talented team.”

Alaska players like Homza are turning heads and making strong impressions with the dozens of professional scouts and college coaches watching from the stands.

Homza, of South High fame, is a smooth-fielding infielder with good footwork and a solid arm. He’s also hitting the ball well against top-notch pitchers from all over the country.

His older brother Willy signed with Brown University last season. This Homza has similar skills but is eager to make his own name with coaches at the next level.

He doesn’t think about the expectations surrounding a chance to play in the Arizona Fall Classic.

“It’s a little nerve wrecking but at the same time it’s just super fun,” Homza said. “If I ever get nervous I just remember how fun it is and that you have to appreciate any chance to play ball, especially on these fields under the sun.”

Pitching has paved the way for the ABA all-stars and their 3-1 showing.

Today’s win was highlighted by Sitka’s Kyle Fitzsimmons, who struck out eight batters and limited MVP Baseball to just three hits.

Anchorage’s Raleigh Pigg of Service allowed one run while striking out two in two innings of middle relief. Mat Kley, formerly of South, picked up the save.

“We’re getting it done on the mound for sure,” Homza said. “Our pitchers have been doing really well. We’ve been stringing our hits together and scoring some runs.”

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

The Alaska Baseball Academy continued its winning ways at the Arizona Fall Classic.

One day after beating a Canadian team, the ABA all-stars knocked off a team from California 4-1 behind the pitching performance of Nolan Monaghan of Wasilla and Jonny Homza from South.

Homza struck out six batters over four scoreless innings. He also singled. South’s Julito Fazzini doubled. Other Alaskans to get a base hit were Noah Alexander of Dimond, Lian Lincoln of South, Kasey Watts of Juneau and Raleigh Pigg of Service.

The ABA all-stars participate in the Arizona Fall Classic each year. The exhibition event helps showcase the best high school and American Legion players in Alaska. Dozens of college and pro scouts are on hand to evaluate the players.

Yesterday the Alaskans split a two-game series.

It started with a 4-3 win over Canada behind the play of Homza, who doubled twice, scored a run and drove in another. Pitcher Bryce Swofford of Juneau earned the win.

Monaghan drove in a pair of runs and Alexander singled, scored and swiped two bags.

In the nightcap, Alaska dropped a 4-1 decision to the SoCal Bombers. The Alaska hitters were limited to four hits but stayed in the game thanks to pitching by Tommy Koloski of South and Nathan Bonck of Ketchikan.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Five years ago the Professional Baseball Clinic was created in Anchorage to give kids the chance to receive 1-on-1 instruction from Major League Baseball coaches.

Now the clinic is expanding to Fairbanks and the Mat-Su Valley to include even more Alaskans.

Houston Astros coaches Brent Strom and Ralph Dickenson will be here next month for five days – Nov. 11 in Wasilla, Nov. 13-15 in Anchorage and Nov. 16 in Fairbanks.

All players welcome ages 9 to 18.

Strom is the pitching coach for the Houston Astros and Dickenson is the team’s hitting instructor. Together, they bring more than 70 years of coaching experience at the professional and collegiate level.

They are also driving forces behind this year’s Astros team that just knocked the New York Yankees out of the MLB playoffs.

Strom has been a winner at every level, winning a College World Series title as a player with Southern Cal in 1970 and a World Series title as a coach with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011.

He also pitched five years in the bigs, throwing a complete game at old Yankee Stadium. This guy tossed 16 CGs in 75 career starts.

Strom is in his third season as pitching coach for the Astros, one of the youngest and most promising teams in the game. This is his sixth season as the chief instructor at the Professional Baseball Clinic.

His return to Fairbanks will be a homecoming as Strom played for the Goldpanners back in the day.

Dickenson is coming for the first time, replacing fellow Astros hitting instructor Jeff Albert. Dickenson is in his first season with Houston as the team’s assistant hitting coach after serving as the organization's minor league hitting coordinator in 2013.

Prior to joining the Astros, he spent three seasons (2010-12) as a hitting coach in the Toronto Blue Jays system. Today some of those players have helped the Blue Jays win the American League East title for the first time in 22 years.

Overall in his career Dickenson has spent 20 seasons as a minor league hitting coordinator or instructor in the Brewers, Dodgers, Rangers, Yankees and Nationals organizations.

This is Alaska’s only opportunity to get one-on-one training from MLB coaches.

Don’t miss this opportunity.

These clinics are sponsored by the Alliance for Support of American Legion in Alaska, BP, Matson and Alaska Airlines.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Sagan Osborne of Anchorage is finally delivering on his promising potential as a teenager.

Playing at his third college, the 21-year-old has rediscovered his hitting stroke for Dickinson State of North Dakota and is back to hitting the ball the way that made him one of Alaska’s top high school players.

Osborne enjoyed the best weekend of his college career Saturday against the University of Winnipeg and Sunday against Mayville State while extending his hitting streak to six games.

In the first series he went 4-for-9 with 5 RBIs as Dickinson swept Winnipeg. In the second series he was 2-for-7 in a pair of losses.

He is batting .360 [9-for-25] during the fall ball portion of the NAIA 2015-16 season.

Osborne, of Dimond High fame, has struck out just once in 28 plate appearances.

Other Alaskans fared well this weekend too.

At Mayville State, relief pitcher Zach Ferntheil of Anchorage extended his scoreless streak to five innings.

His older brother Stephen Ferntheil went 2-for-3 in the first game of the doubleheader. The catcher now has three consecutive games with at least two hits.

Outfielder Aaron Miller of Anchorage went 3-for-7 in the two games.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Miller went hitless this weekend but he’s probably the most accomplished player on the field with a .345 career average in 128 games.

Ferntheil, the bashing backstop, went 2-for-3 in the first game. Nobody tried to steal on him. He did not play in the second game.

The junior transferred from East Georgia College where he hit .329 in 44 games last season.

His younger brother Zach also transferred to Mayville State.

The right-hander made a delightful debut with his new team by pitching three shutout innings of relief. He came in with his team trailing 4-2 and threw scoreless frames in the fifth, sixth and seventh to keep the Comets in the game.

In South Dakota against Presentation, Sagan Osborne of Anchorage started well in his first game with his new team Dickinson State of North Dakota.

He started at third base and went 2-for-5 with a run and two assists in the field as his team won 10-3. He went 1-for-3 with two assists and two putouts in a Game 2 loss.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Juneau Post 25 outhit the Fremont Silverwolves and matched the Utah team run for run for the first seven innings before losing an elimination game at the Northwest Class A Regional Tournament in Logan, Utah.

In a back and forth game that saw the lead change hands several times, Fremont finally pulled away in the eighth inning to post a 10-6 victory over the Southeast Alaska team.

It was the final game for manager Andy Macaulay, who stepped down after coaching the Legion AA team for three seasons and serving as the Midnight Suns Baseball Club since 2006.

Macaulay, a coach of the year winner, compiled a 70-29 record with Juneau and led Post 25 to the NWCART in each of the last two years and won three games.

This year his team went 1-2 and finished fifth.

Juneau led today’s game 3-2 before Utah went ahead 4-3. Finn Collins hit into a fielder’s choice to score RJ Markovich and tie it at 4-4.

Utah went up 7-4 in the top of the sixth before Michael Cesar’s line drive up the middle scored Jacob Dale and Matt Cunningham in the bottom half to make it 7-6.

Juneau outhit Utah 13-12.

Markovich started and pitched six innings. Jacob Thibodeau threw the final three.

Markovich, Collins and Jake Tanner each doubled and combined for eight hits and four RBIs.

Macaulay addressed his team the final time after the game.

“I told them that it was a privilege to coach them and I’m excited to see where they go from here,” he said. “I told them that the way they can thank me is by paying it forward later in their life; get involved in their community and be a positive role model to the kids.”

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Juneau managed just three hits off Service starter Cobey Cupp in 4.2 innings. Reliever Raleigh Pigg pitched 3.1 hitless innings with five strikeouts.

But they issued 10 walks.

Jaren Childs had the lone RBI for the Cougars.

Juneau will join Kenai Post 20 at the NWCART in Utah. State champion Chugiak Post 33 will go to Cheyenne, Wyoming, for the Northwest Regional in the first step toward qualifying for the Legion World Series.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

They call him Jimmy, but he might as well go by 'Big Game James' Lanier.

The Chugiak Post 33 right-handed pitcher rose to the occasion once again, this time pitching a 3-hit shutout over Kenai Post 20 to highlight a 6-0 victory in the championship game of the Legion AA State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

Lanier was marvelous on the mound and got lots of help from his friends, especially second baseman Charlie Bucolo.

Bucolo crushed a 3-run home run to left field in the third inning that pushed the lead to 4-0.

It was the second bomb in two games for Bucolo, who batted .444 with two HRs and eight RBIs in the tournament to collect Most Valuable Player honors.

With the win, No. 1 Chugiak improved to 29-3 and will represent Alaska at the Northwest Regional next week in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Kenai is going to the Northwest Class A Regional in Logan, Utah, which also starts next week.

This was Chugiak's eighth Legion state championship in school history, ranking second on Alaska's all-time list. East has the most with 10.

The Mustangs controlled the title game in every aspect.

Lanier, who took the tournament's Top Pitcher award, was rock solid until a little hiccup in the ninth inning when he loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batsman.

He pitched 15.1 innings over two appearances at state and finished 2-0 with a 1.76 ERA.

Lanier has been huge all year - he was the winning pitcher when Chugiak won the high school state title and again when Chugiak beat Castroville, Texas, during the BP Invitational.

Brueggemann doubled off the left-field wall, missing a home run by five feet.

The all-star right fielder also threw out a runner at first base on a rare 9-3 putout. Chugiak also picked off a runner at second base and got another out on the base paths in a rundown.

Doug Henie's Chugiak club is now 44-7 since high school.

Kenai deserves a lot of credit. Not only did the No. 6 Twins win five consecutive elimination games to reach the championship game, but they beat Chugiak 7-6 earlier in the day to force an if-necessary game.

In the first game, Kenai jumped to a 7-2 lead before hanging on for dear life after escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the ninth inning.

Kyle Johnson picked up the win and Justice Miller got the save. Johnson limited Chugiak's hot bats to just two hits over five innings of work. Johnson finished the tournament with a 0.75 ERA in 12 innings.

Miller was one of his team's best players the entire week and won the tournament's Gold Glove award.

Juneau's RJ Markovich won the tournament's Big Stick award after hitting .400 with five RBIs and five extra-base hits in four games.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Ronan Klancher and Derek Scoggins each had three hits and two RBIs as [9] Service beat [11] Ketchikan 8-3 in the championship game of the Matson Invitational at Bartlett High School.

Service broke free of a 2-2 tie by scoring three times in the fourth inning. The Post 28 Cougars sealed the deal with a three-run ninth inning.

Pitchers Jake Wasson and Nick Hall combined on a 7-hitter and limited Ketchikan to just one run over the final seven innings.

Daltin Johson and Wasson each had two hits as Service banged out 12 on the day, including doubles by Luke Giffen and Wasson.

Ketchikan's Shawn Sande drove in two runs, including an RBI single in the seventh inning that made it 5-3.

Luke Jones and Casey Hendricks had two hits apiece.

Service manager Willie Paul's team will now face state third-place finisher Juneau Post 25 on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at Mulcahy Stadium. The winner of that game will receive Alaska's second berth to the Northwest Category A Regional Tournament [NWCART] Aug. 7-11 in Logan, Utah.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

The Alaska Legion AA Baseball State Tournament seems like 2012 all over again.

Chugiak Post 33 advances to championship game unbeaten, while Kenai Post 20 battled through the loser's bracket to reach the final.

Kenai won the title that year.

We will see which team walks away with the 2015 trophy Saturday afternoon. No. 1 Chugiak will face No. 6 Kenai at 3 p.m. at Mulcahy Stadium. There is an if-necessary game scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Chugiak swept Kenai in all three games during the regular season, including two league games, 6-3 and 11-9.

Let's take a closer look at both teams:

Chugiak Post 33

The top-seeded Mustangs are 28-2 this season and have been the best baseball team in Alaska since high school. Chugiak won the ASAA state title in June and clinched the No. 1 seed after having the best record in Legion AA this summer.

Head coach Doug Henie's team has won 39 of its last 43 games.

The Mustangs are 3-0 in the state tournament after beating No. 8 Fairbanks 30, No. 5 Valley and No. 2 Juneau.

Chugiak has a .323 team batting average during the tournament and a 1.67 team ERA.

Picking an all-star on Chugiak is like picking a dandelion - they are everywhere.

Kenai Post 20

The sixth-seeded Twins [22-11] are a resilient group, having won four consecutive elimination games to reach Saturday.

They were especially effective Friday, winning consecutive games over No. 3 South and No. 2 Juneau by one run. In fact, both victories were courtesy of a bases-loaded walk.

Kenai's batting stats don't jump off the page, but that doesn't mean they are easy outs.

They are actually tough as nails.

The Twins take pitches, work the count and wear down a pitching staff with base on balls. Kenai batters have walked 29 times, more than any team in the state tournament.

The No. 6 Twins manufactured two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to escape a close call with No. 7 Fairbanks Post 11 in an elimination game.

Kenneth Griffin scored on a fielder's choice and Thomas Bowe came home on a passed ball. Josh Darrow, Justice Miller and Jake Conver each had RBIs.

Kyle Johnson started and went seven strong innings but did not factor in the decision. Reliever Klayton Justice pitched two innings to get the win.

Fairbanks starter Casey Lewandowski pitched an 8-inning CG but suffered a hard-luck loss. He struck out a half dozen and walked zero.

Fairbanks 11 was eliminated and finished eighth in the tournament.

GM6: Dimond 17, Fairbanks [30] 10

The No. 4 Lynx broke out the bats with 19 hits and three big innings en route to a slugfest victory that knocked No. 8 Fairbanks 30 out of the state tournament.

Lucas Thorp went 4-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored as eight of nine starters found the hit column.

Kyle Bremont and Jack Hoen each had three RBIs, and Joe Fitka and Tony Hillman each had three hits.

Fairbanks showed plenty of fight, scoring in six of nine innings and rallying for three runs in the seventh to stave off the mercy rule.

Terrell Ford went 2-for-6 with three RBIs and Colin King had two RBIs for Fairbanks 30, which finished seventh.

GM7: Juneau 8, South 0

Bryce Swofford threw a 4-hit shutout with seven strikeouts to lead No. 2 Juneau past defending state champion and No. 3 South in a winner's bracket game.

Tod Baseden went 4-for-5. He and JR Markovich had two RBIs and two runs. Alex Muir drove in three runs.

Juneau broke the game open with a four-run fifth inning.

Tommy Koloski's double highlighted South's offense.

GM8: Chugiak 7, Valley 3

Jimmy Lanier continued to pitch beautifully in big games this season, collecting another win as No. 1 Chugiak picked up its state-best 27th victory this season.

Lanier scattered five hits and five walks over 6.2 innings. The right hander won the high school state championship game and beat Castroville [Texas] during the BP Invitational, the team's only loss in 13 games in Alaska.

The second annual Matson Invitational begins Tuesday afternoon at Bartlett High School.

Day 1 Matson schedule:

11 a.m. [15] Bartlett Post 28 vs. [14] East Post 34

2:30 p.m. [10] Kodiak Post 17 vs. [13] West Post 1

6 p.m. [12] Eagle River vs. [11] Ketchikan Post 3

[9] Service bye

Follow the action with live scoring:

http://iscorecentral.com/7FE5D32A05

The Matson Invitational winner will play the third-place finisher from the state tournament on Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. for Alaska’s third regional berth. The winner of that game will also qualify for the NWCART.

Anchorage hosted the NWCART last season at Mulcahy Stadium.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

His season didn’t start well, but Eagle River’s Conor Spink is doing everything he can to get it back on track.

The 27-year-old left-handed relief pitcher with the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association professional independent league is currently enjoying one of the best stretches of his four-year career.

Spink will carry a 9-inning scoreless streak into his next appearance.

That might not sound like much, but you have to consider he pitches no more than two innings a game and bounced back from the kind of sorry start that forces an early retirement.

Take a closer look at his turnaround that makes Spink a candidate for the league’s comeback player award.

First 9 games: 6.92 ERA

Next 17 games: 2.63 ERA

Spink, of Chugiak High fame, went from the doghouse to the penthouse in a matter of weeks. He’s back to his eighth inning role and picked up a save in last night’s 5-2 win over the Grand Prairie AirHogs.

Spink is one of only two Alaskans currently playing professional baseball and is one of seven Alaskans to pitch in more than 100 pro games.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Even though he lives in Texas, Castroville Post 460 Legion team manager Jerome Iltis owns property in the Mat-Su Valley.

It’s fitting because his baseball players treat McManus Field in Wasilla like their backyard.

Castroville has never lost in the Todd Ryan Memorial Tournament after beating Valley Post 35/15 by a 3-2 score in extra innings tonight. The Texas team is now 8-0 all-time and has another title to go with its 2012 championship.

The Alaskans had more base hits and got a complete-game gem from starter Sam Loyer but let the game slip away in the top of the eighth inning after Wesley Moss scored the winning run from second base after the Valley failed to turn an inning-ending double play.

The game was back and forth the whole way. Logan Sanders gave the Valley a 2-0 lead with a two-run double in the bottom of the second inning. Ethan Valdez drove in two to tie it in the top of the fourth inning.

“Today’s game is the best game I've been a part of in years,” Skan said. “Both teams had chances; both teams left the based loaded in back-to-back innings. Defense and pitching won the game for Texas.”

The Napoleon Post 300 River Bandits of Ohio went 3-1 and finished second in the tournament. They lost 10-5 on Day 3.

Napoleon and manager Randy Bachman were seeking the team’s third Todd Ryan Tournament title since 2011.

The third Outside team up here for the 2015 Alaska Airlines Tournament Tour is Team Avenue Academy of California.

The Valley team went 2-2 over the holiday weekend, beating Team Avenue and Bartlett Post 29 while losing 7-4 to Ohio.

Overall, the Valley team played strong and represented Alaska well.

“This was a very fun tournament to be part off,” Skan said. “I think our team has definitely earned the respect of all three out of state teams. I can't say enough about all the fans that came out and supported us. What a game; wow, is all I can say and very proud of this team for battling every pitch.”

The third leg of the Alaska Airlines Tournament Tour begins Tuesday with the Bill Miller Big Fish Wood Bat Tournament in Kenai. After that the tournament series wraps up with the granddaddy of them all, the 21st annual BP Invitational this weekend at Mulcahy Stadium.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

USA Today and American Family Insurance teamed up to come up with all-state high school baseball teams for all 50 states.

In Alaska, Doug Henie of the Chugiak Mustangs won Coach of the Year honors and Player of the Year honors went to Nathan Bonck of the Ketchikan Kings.

Henie led Chugiak to its first high school baseball state championship and a 15-4 record while Bonck led the state with 7 home runs and 39 RBIs in 24 games while going 5-0 with a 1.72 as a pitcher.

For the complete list of all-state teams, go to: http://usatodayhss.com/2015/2014-15-american-family-insurance-all-usa-state-baseball-teams

USA Today/American Family Insurance

All-USA Alaska Baseball Team

COACH OF THE YEAR

Doug Henie, Chugiak

Henie guided Chugiak to a 15-4 record and the school’s first state championship. The Mustangs shut out two of their three opponents in the state tournament, including a 5-0 victory against South Anchorage for the title. Henie has been with the team since 2004.

PLAYEROF THE YEAR

Nathan Bonck, INF/P, Ketchikan, 6-5/195, Jr.

The slugging first baseman hit .507 with seven home runs and 39 RBI in 24 games for the Southeast Conference champions. On the mound, the hard-throwing lefty had a 5-0 record, a 1.72 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings. He was also named the Gatorade state player of the year. He has committed to Seattle University.

FIRST TEAM

Nathan Bonck, INF/P, Ketchikan 6-5/195, Jr.

Sam Hanson, P, Chugiak, 6-1/195, Sr.

Nathan Klein, P, Juneau-Douglas, 6-2/190, Sr.

Nolan Monaghan, P, Wasilla, 6-0/160, Jr.

Julito Fazzini, C, South Anchorage, 5-10/205, Jr.

Lucas Thorp, INF, Dimond (Anchorage), 5-11/180, Sr.

Jonny Homza, INF, South Anchorage, 5-11/160, So.

Willy Homza, INF, South Anchorage, 6-0/185, Sr.

Zach Brueggemann, OF, Chugiak, 5-8/165, Sr.

Sam Loyer, OF, Wasilla, 5-9/120, Sr.

Logan Sanders, OF, Colony (Palmer), 5-9/155, Sr.

SECOND TEAM

Jakob Arnold, P, Kodiak, 6-2/180, Sr.

Tyler Christmann, P, West Valley (Fairbanks), 6-0/175, Sr.

Casey Hendricks, P, Ketchikan, 5-11/160, Sr.

Logan Williams, C, Bartlett (Anchorage), 5-9/220, Sr.

Matt Palmer, INF, Colony (Palmer), 6-0/185, Sr.

Raleigh Pigg, INF, Service (Anchorage), 6-2/170, So.

Buddy Dale, INF, Wasilla, 5-9, 180, Sr.

Ben Hall, INF, Lathrop (Fairbanks), 5-7/150, Sr.

Frank Carlson, OF, Kodiak, 6-2/170, Sr.

Chris Carter, OF, Lathrop (Fairbanks), 5-8/200, Sr.

Parker Johnson, OF, South (Anchorage), 6-0/165, So.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Kodiak baseball player Jakob Arnold had a checklist when it came to finding the perfect college.

He wanted to be near family, but get out of Alaska.

He wanted to play for a competitive program.

And he wanted to pitch in warm weather.

Arnold, 18, got all three wishes at Flagler College, an NCAA D2 school in St. Augustine, Florida.

“It seemed like the perfect fit,” he told me.

The Kodiak pitching ace was one of the top arms in Alaska high school baseball this season. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound right hander threw a no-hitter against Houston and went all 7 innings in four of six starts.

His only loss of the season came at the state tournament against eventual champion Chugiak.

Arnold, of Kodiak High fame, carved up batters with a 0.92 ERA in 30.2 innings. His 41-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio is lights out.

He was named first team all-conference and second team all-state this year as a senior.

“It’ll be awesome to face some really good hitters at a higher level,” Arnold said. “I think the competition will make me a lot better.”

Arnold found out about Flagler through his older brother and he sent the coach a video with some of his highlights. He sent out probably 15 to 20 videos, he said, and received interest from a handful of schools. A couple even offered him a spot.

“Being in Kodiak, it’s really hard to get out and show people so it’s all do-it-yourself basically,” he said. “If you want play it’s on you to do all the work.”

Flagler invited him to an open tryout, where Arnold did enough to earn a roster spot and partial scholarship.

“I had a ton of adrenaline and it made me throw harder than I’ve ever thrown,” he said. “Being nervous honestly helped a lot.”

He normally throws his fastball in the 83 mph range. In Florida he hit 87 on the radar gun a couple times.

“They liked my size and velocity but said I need to work on secondary pitches,” Arnold said. “As I get there they are going to see if I am ready as a freshman or if I need to redshirt my first year.”

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Using the oldest recipe in baseball, the Chugiak Mustangs mixed brilliant pitching and perfect defense to create a masterpiece that allowed them to eat up the competition.

Jimmy Lanier pitched his team’s second shutout in three days with a 3-hitter in Saturday’s championship game to highlight a 5-0 victory over South Anchorage in the ASAA state baseball tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

Chugiak outscored opponents 26-5 in the tournament and in the title game dominated a South squad that has built a reputation as a perennial powerhouse with three straight appearances in the state championship game.

“It was our year,” Zach Brueggemann told me. “This is a team of destiny. We’re the hardest-working team out there. It’s so nice to have it pay off in the end.”

Lanier carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before South leadoff hitter Lian Lincoln broke it up with a single. The senior pitcher struck out two and walked three, including the first two batters of the game.

Lanier is a notoriously slow starter and he found immediate trouble in the first inning after issuing base on balls to Lincoln and Jonny Homza. That brought up CIC Co-MVP Willy Homza, who ripped the ball to right field. The laser liner initially gave Brueggemann trouble before he made a diving catch.

“I was just so happy I caught the ball because it was a shot off the bat,” Brueggemann said. “I didn’t want to get burned so I was kind of hesitant and I made that catch look a lot harder than it was.”

Lanier was lights out the rest of the way.

“You gotta let him settle in,” Chugiak head coach Doug Henie told me. “Once he gets through that first inning he goes after people.”

Chugiak [15-4] scored four runs in the third inning with multiple players doing their job, whether it was a base hit, a sacrifice bunt or stolen base.

Charlie Bucolo’s RBI single scored Jake Kindred for the first run. Then Sam Hanson singled and Brueggemann walked to load the bases. A wild pitch scored one run and an overthrow to third base by pitcher Parker Johnson allowed another run to score. A run-scoring double by Matthew Hess made it 4-0.

Two innings later, Zach Bohrer lofted a sacrifice fly to right to score Bucolo and make it 5-0.

Chugiak won all three games against South this year.

The third victory was the most important, giving the Mustangs their first state championship in high school baseball. They made the finals in 2004 and 2009 – and the Chugiak Post 33 team has won 7 American Legion state titles – but this was the first title for a proud program steeped in tradition.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Henie, who has been on the Chugiak coaching staff since 2004 and was part of the team’s 2008 and 2011 Legion titles. “I don’t know if it’s set in yet.”

Chugiak all week made it clear it was the most complete team.

The Mustangs pitched two shutouts [Lanier, Hanson], compiled a tournament-high 19 stolen bases, batted .284 as a team and did not commit an error in 21 innings.

“We’re always talking about playing clean baseball, doing what you can do, don’t try to do too much, and we got decent speed throughout the lineup,” Henie said. “That’s what we’ve been doing all year.”

TOURNAMENT NOTES

^ South is now 12-3 in the state tournament since 2011.

^ The Cook Inlet Conference and Southeast Conference have won every state title since 2007, alternating from year to year with the CIC winning in old years and Southeast in even years.

^ Juneau-Douglas assistant coach Chad Bentz is one of only three Alaskans to play Major League Baseball. The left-handed pitcher played for the Montreal Expos and Florida Marlins. He played in 40 MLB games, the most by an Alaskan, and has our state’s only base hit.

“I was just seeing it really well. It was nice,” he said with a laugh. “No extra motivation, we took it like a regular game.”

Chugiak led 3-2 before tacking on runs in five straight innings to bury the shorthanded Wolfpack, which upset Ketchikan on Day 1 and brought only 10 players from Fairbanks.

“We have a lot of depth on our team,” Bohrer said. “A lot of guys are on right now and it’s really nice. I haven’t been hitting the ball well recently but pretty much the whole team has been hitting at state and understanding how big these games are.”

SOUTH 8, JUNEAU 3

The Homza brothers make up the best middle infield in the state. Shortstop Willy and second baseman Jonny are quick on their feet and get rid of the ball quickly.

They also have quick bats.

Jonny and Willy drilled back-to-back triples in the first inning to ignite a quick start that carried the Wolverines.

“We always try to get back-to-back hits,” Willy told me. “Mine was more opposite field, I think; I wasn’t watching. I just was hoping it would drop. I thought the center fielder had a beat on both of them, but luckily they dropped in.”

The Homza Bros. combined to go 5-for-7 with 3 RBIs and 5 runs.

South [15-3] scored three runs in the first, two in the third, two more in the fifth and another in the sixth.

“That early start, that was huge,” Willy said. “We’ve had trouble getting going in the first few innings, but today we got it going right away. That was helpful.”

Starter Alex Schlegel scattered seven hits and three walks over six innings to collect to 2-0 on the season. He carried a shutout into the sixth inning.

South started the state tournament without giving up a run for 12 consecutive innings – seven by Tommy Koloski and five by Schlegel.

“Tommy threw a good game yesterday and Schle just kept it going,” Willy said. “Schle pitches to contact a little more and that was nice getting a lot of good plays in the field, lots of grounders.”

South is solid around the horn, but especially up the middle.

“Anytime there’s a ground ball up the middle, it’s a good thing for us; you have to hit it pretty good to get it by them. They are really quick laterally,” South head coach Taylor Nerland told me.

They have an unspoken language on the field like they’ve played together their whole loves. Oh yeah, they have.

“This is my last year with him I like being in there,” Willy said. “I always know where he’s going to be and he knows where I’m going to be. It’s pretty sweet.”

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

The West Valley baseball coach from Fairbanks challenged his players before Thursday’s opening round of the ASAA state tournament against Southeast Conference champion Ketchikan.

He bet them they couldn’t win to spark their competitive spirit. Call him crazy, but it worked.

West Valley won 4-0 at Mulcahy Stadium to advance to the state semifinals for the first time since 2011.

“I kept asking them after every half inning, ‘Can you play with these guys?’” Wade told me. “And their answer was, ‘We can beat them.’”

Tyler Christmann pitched a 7-hit shutout and Connor Soden, Trenton Woods and Blake Swarthout each had RBIs to make sure the Wolfpack dined out on the town Thursday night.

“I promised the kids,” Wade said. “I don’t have to pay up very often, but I’m taking them to the steakhouse tonight.”

Christmann deserved filet mignon.

“A whole cow,” cracked Wade.

The senior pitcher was sensational, striking out six batters and shutting down a Ketchikan team that came into state with a tournament-high 18 victories and Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year Nathan Bonck [1-for-3, double].

“When he’s on the mound my team takes on a different persona,” Wade said. “Those kids get out there and believe they can beat anybody.”

SOUTH 1, WASILLA 0

Tommy Koloski fired a 3-hit shutout, Lian Lincoln drove in the game’s only run and the Wolverines marched into the final four for the third consecutive year.

But, really, this game came down to one play.

Nolan Monaghan was thrown out at home after a broken squeeze play in the bottom of the seventh inning. Monaghan had a terrific game, pitching a 5-hitter and leading off the seventh with a double; it was the game’s only extra-base hit.

He was sacrificed to third base after a bunt and then was tagged out at the plate by catcher Julito Fazzini after Koloski threw a high fastball.

“I saw him running, but I had already started my wind up and so I just rushed my second half to just get it down and over the plate,” Koloski told me. “I was just focused on getting it to where the hitter couldn’t touch it, so I just threw it high and it worked out for us.”

Koloski struck out seven and walked none. He threw only fastballs and sliders, he said. His command was spot on.

“I missed a few spots here and there, but mostly I was on point,” he said. “That’s the one thing I’ve been working on with pitching, getting on my target.”

Lincoln’s single in the fifth inning scored Matt Kley from second base.

JUNEAU-DOUGLAS 15, LATHROP 0

Freshman Michael Cesar continued to be big bat for the Crimson Bears, walking twice and driving in three runs, as they cruised past the Mid Alaska champions in the morning game.

Bryce Swofford had a nice day, going 2-for-3 with three runs and a pair of RBIs.

Juneau pitcher Nathan Klein allowed only three base runners over four innings of work. Reliever Jacob Thibodeau cleaned up the fifth and final inning.

The Crimson Bears broke the game open with a 7-run third inning.

For the game they managed 15 runs on five hits and 13 walks.

Lathrop’s James Kardash managed two of his team’s three hits.

CHUGIAK 7, KODIAK 0

After the first three games of the day ended with shutouts, the Cook Inlet Conference champions joined the party too.

Senior Sam Hanson remained undefeated on the season as he tossed a 2-hitter with four walks and four strikeouts in the nightcap. He is now 3-0.

Vander Lekites, Charlie Bucolo and Jake Kindred were the only players to each have at least one hit, one run and one RBI.

Hanson also swung the ball well, going 2-for-4 with a double.

The Mustangs enjoyed a 4-0 edge in doubles and a 6-2 advantage in stolen bases. They also played error-free baseball.

Kodiak starter Jakob Arnold carried a shutout into the fifth inning.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Here are opening round games for the 2015 ASAA State Baseball Tournament, which begins Thursday at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

10 AM MAC #1 Lathrop vs. SEC #2 Juneau-Douglas

1 PM SEC #1 Ketchikan vs. MAC #2 West Valley

4 PM SC #1 Wasilla vs. CIC #2 South Anchorage

7 PM CIC #1 Chugiak vs. SC #2 Kodiak

Looking back to 2014

Last year, Sitka held off South 11-10 in a three-hour slugfest at Moller Park in rainy Sitka in a state championship game that featured 18 hits, a grand slam and five lead changes. There was drama until the last pitch. Sitka reliever Erickson Fish struck out South’s Willy Homza and Spencer Floyd with the tying run in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh inning to seal the deal. It was the fourth state title for longtime Sitka coach Ed Conway, who retired after the game.

Dimond’s Lucas Thorp and South’s Willy Homza were two-way terrors on the baseball field in the Cook Inlet Conference this season, so it made sense the league’s player-of-the-year award would be split two ways.

Thorp, a power-hitting third baseman and lights-out relief pitcher, and Homza, a clutch-hitting, slick-fielding shortstop, were both selected the 2015 Don Rabung CIC MVP Award in a vote by league coaches.

Thorp was Dimond’s closer and saw action in seven of the team’s 10 games, earning a 1-1 record, two saves and a 2.69 ERA in 13 innings.

He batted .414 with two home runs and nine RBIs. Both of his home runs were game winners, including a two-run shot in the 10th inning in a conference playoff pool game to beat conference champion Chugiak 5-3.

Homza was the best player for a South team going back to the state tournament. The Ivy League-bound infielder hit .518 in 10 games and flashed a .938 fielding percentage.

Half of his 14 hits went for extra bases. He also drove in 10 runs, stole 10 bags and scored 11 times.

Anchorage’s Tyler Thompson stayed hot in the NCAA playoffs today as he banged out a double and 4 RBIs to lead Pacific Lutheran University to a 7-2 victory over Birmingham Southern on Day 2 of the NCAA D3 Tournament’s South Regional in Georgia.

One day after clubbing a solo home run, the former Dimond High star delivered a three-run double in the fifth inning to make it 6-0 and basically cement the team’s second postseason win in two days.

This one came over a 35-win Birmingham Southern team and kept the second-seeded Lutes undefeated in the double-elimination regional.

Thompson now has 39 RBIs in 41 games this season.

The all-league third baseman drove in his first run in the third inning on a fielder’s choice to make it 3-0 PLU. Then in the fifth he cleared the bases with a double.

PLU [32-12] will play again Friday at 3 p.m. ADT.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

The Pacific Lutheran University baseball team out of Washington won a huge playoff game today and Alaska’s fingerprints were all over it.

Anchorage’s Garrett Brown earned the win and Tyler Thompson hit a home run in a 9-6 win over Emory on opening day of the NCAA D3 Tournament South Regional in Georgia.

Brown, of Service High fame, threw 5.1 innings of one-run relief to keep his team in the game after the Lutes fell behind 5-3 in the third inning. He allowed just four hits and two walks. He struck out five and the run he allowed wasn’t even earned.

“He gave us a chance to win,” Thompson told me.

After Brown got the final out in the top of the third inning, Thompson came up in the bottom half and hit a home run that pulled PLU within 5-4.

“When Tyler hit his home run it pumped me up especially since I was pitching at the time,” Brown told me. “He’s been clutch all year.”

It was Thompson’s fifth homer of the season, which is the most among college players from Alaska this season.

But Brown was the story here.

The junior right-hander was a starter much of the season before getting moved to the bullpen for the NCAA playoffs. Rather than pout, he pounced on his opportunity, and shined bright when his team needed him most.

He pitched 5 scoreless innings before Emory – last year’s NCAA D3 runnerup –plated an unearned run in the top of the eighth inning.

“I just threw strikes and worked the ball to the outside of the plate. I threw majority all fastballs and was commanding both sides of the plate,” said Brown, who improved to 5-1 and lowered his ERA to 3.72 in 14 games.

“It felt amazing. I knew if I kept us close then we were gonna get some runs because we always come through late in games.”

And that’s exactly what happened. PLU rallied for four runs in the bottom of the eight to pull away, improving to 31-12 on the season and remain undefeated in the double-elimination tournament.

PLU plays again Thursday. First pitch is 3 p.m. ADT.

“We need to take care of business tomorrow then we will be sitting in great position into the weekend,” Brown said.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

This week is the start of the college baseball playoffs and we have three Alaskans taking part in national tournaments at NCAA D3 and NAIA.

Anchorage’s Tyler Thompson and Garrett Brown helped Pacific Lutheran University of Washington earn its first postseason berth since 2007.

Meanwhile, Aaron Miller of Anchorage has Mayville State University of North Dakota back in the playoffs.

PLU earned the No. 2 seed in the South Region of the NCAA tournament and will travel to Georgia to begin play Wednesday in the six-team double-elimination tournament.

“This is huge for our program,” Thompson told me. “There’s been years in the past before I was here where the team thought they did enough to get in and didn’t, so it feels really good to finally get a shot at a regional tournament.”

There was no denying the Lutes, who have posted a 30-12 record and won the Northwest Conference regular-season championship.

But they had to wait for the NCAA to make the official announcement late Sunday night.

That’s not the case with Mayville State, which has known for a week it was bound for the NAIA tournament after winning the North Star Athletic Association tournament title.

The Comets [39-20] are the No. 5 seed in the Bellevue bracket in Nebraska and will face Madonna University on Tuesday in the opening round.

“My first two years we made nationals by an at-large bid from rankings, but this year we made it by winning our conference and it is a sweeter feeling getting in by winning the conference tourney,” Miller told me.

Miller, of Service High fame, is batting .341 in 53 games this season. He leads Mayville State with 50 RBIs to go with 4 home runs, 13 doubles and 15 stolen bases.

“It feels great being a contributing part of this team’s success,” he said.

The junior outfielder is a major cog in an offensive hitting .319 as a team.

“I like our chances this year,” Miller said. “We have a senior-dominated team and a close group of guys that all believe we are going win this and make it to the World Series in Lewiston.”

At PLU, Thompson and Brown have also played a key role in helping the Lutes get back to the national stage.

Thompson, of Dimond High fame, is batting .305 in 39 games and ranks second on the team with 4 home runs, 34 RBIs and 29 runs.

“My mindset will be the same it’s been all year,” the junior third baseman said. “Don’t add any pressure. Just be myself and play my game.

“To me, I try to not make it any different than the regular season, but I know it won’t always be that way.”

Brown, of Service High fame, has started 8 of 13 games and is 4-1 with a 4.10 ERA. The junior right-hander has 56 strikeouts in 52.2 innings.

Look for all three Alaskans to continue playing well, even though the circumstances are much different. Now every play, every pitch and every at-bat matter more than ever.

“It’s do–or-die baseball,” Thompson said. “It’s going to be really fun to get out there and compete with my teammates.”

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Just because his father was a Marine and his sisters are active duty Air Force didn’t mean Michael Rosenberg of Eagle River was destined for a military life.

Then again, that’s exactly what it means.

Rosenberg continued a family tradition after the 18-year-old signed his letter of acceptance of appointment and commitment to play baseball for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut.

“I never felt any pressure as far as them wanting me to join. It’s just the way I was raised,” Rosenberg told me. “The honor of serving in the military, that’s all I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid.”

The senior all-star first baseman for the Eagle River Wolves won the Gold Glove defensive award in the Cook Inlet Conference last year when he led Eagle River to the ASAA state tournament for the first time in school history.

During the Legion season he was selected to the All-State Team of Excellence for the second straight year. Then he participated with the Alaska Baseball Academy in the Arizona Fall Classic, where he turned heads and held his own to validate his desire to play at the next level.

“It’s a dream come true to serve in military and get to play baseball,” he said. “I’ve been in contact with the baseball coach. Guys from all over the country are coming to this academy and it’s going to be tough because we have to go through Coast Guard basic training. We’re going to build that brotherhood I hear a lot of people talk about.”

Rosenberg is also a star in the classroom, where he carries a 4.12 GPA.

“My dad always told me to give 100 percent,” he said “Not only do I take that advice to school but I take it to the baseball field too. If I’m diving for a ball, if I give it 100 percent, I’m happy with myself. In terms of grades, coaches want players that are going to be responsible to be able keep playing. It shows responsibility."

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.

Anchorage’s Aaron Miller was good in high school, but he’s become an even better player in college.

The junior left fielder has put it all together for Mayville State University in North Dakota, where he has a .353 batting average in 119 career games with the NAIA school.

“In high school I was a good player but never had the consistency that I have achieved in college,” he told me. “I’ve worked a lot on my mental game to get to that next level in my game, which is why I believe I have had the success I’ve had recently.”

Miller is hardly a one-hit wonder. This guy has been tearing the cover off the ball since he arrived at Mayville State.

But this year has been extra special for the 5-foot-9, 185-pounder as he has career highs in his power numbers across the board – home runs [4], doubles [11], RBIs [37] and slugging percentage [.500].

“The home runs just started coming,” he said. “I’ve always had the power. It just now is starting to translate to games.”

Miller, of Service High fame, is batting .342 in 48 games this year and has hit safely in 23 of the last 25 games.

“My swing feels great right now I’ve been able to spray the ball to whole field,” he said.

This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.